Inner Spirits
by SweetStories11
Summary: Yukiru and KyoKagura After a meeting with Akito, strange events take place and Tohru's life changes. Yuki tries to help and the two end up changing the fate of the Sohma family. How will everyone react to the truth? Please Read! :D
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So this if my first Furuba fanfic and it will be based on the pairings Yuki/Tohru and Kyo/Kagura. The most important thing I want to stress is that this is going to be a _**serious**_ fic. Yes, there will be some funny, humorous parts, but as you will see… it will get darker each chapter. So if you're in the mood for this kind of fic, give this one a shot! I hope you like it! BTW, it is set after the Anime ends :) I really didn't read the manga hehe…

* * *

_Inner Spirits_

**Chapter 1**

The sun was shining and the air was cool with a scent of fresh rain. It had been a few weeks after the storm and the dramatic events that had taken place. Things seemed to be going well and everyone had a chance at a new beginning, but the past wasn't locked up and taken care of. Even though Tohru was folding the laundry with Kyo as if nothing had happened, the stillness after the storm was a bit unsettling. As she took a sheet off of the line, Kyo took the other ends and helped her fold it. He took the sheet and put in a nearby basket. Suddenly he turned around and his eyes widened as another white blanket went hurling straight at his face. Tohru giggled and ran to go take it off of his face.

"What the? Get this thing off of me!"

Tohru smiled angelically as she tried to untangle the sheet. Her loose hair flowed gracefully from side to side as she rushed to snatch the sheet before Kyo became any angrier.

"Hold on, stop moving! I've almost… got it!"

She stepped away from him and the sheet spread itself in between them on the soft green grass. Kyo's frown disappeared and he laughed slightly as he saw Tohru's cheerful grin. Suddenly, she opened her eyes as she heard footsteps in the distance. Kyo turned around quickly and then narrowed his gaze. Tohru dropped the sheet and waved.

"Yuki! You're home! Do you want to help us with the laundry?"

The quiet rat boy with his dark silver hair walked past the annoyed cat with a hint of animosity. But for some reason, the two of them let their emotions slip away. Ever since the day Tohru had gone to see Akito, everyone was a bit less hostile towards each other. Yuki stopped near the smiling girl and shook his head just a bit as he looked to the sheet on the ground.

"That is quite all right Miss Honda. I think that you and Kyo will be able to finish it up. I'm a bit tired, so I think I will head in and get some rest."

She nodded sympathetically and watched him tread towards the back door. When she heard the door slide shut, Tohru turned back to Kyo and her eyes widened. He had already folded the sheet and put it in the basket. She stepped nearer towards him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're getting better at this Kyo! You'll be a housekeeper in no time at all!"

Tohru laughed innocently and he looked at her with adoration. She was so much like an ignorant child; there was nothing that could stop her from being happy. So he smiled at her and the two of them continued to do the laundry. Yuki had made his way upstairs and he walked slowly over to his window. As he peered down to the backyard, he saw the wind rustling the sheets on the lines. Kyo and Tohru tried their best to keep the sheets from flying off into the tall trees. His eyes gazed over how happy their laughter was and he envied it with all of his heart. He could never be so carefree with her; it wasn't in his nature to let his true emotions slide out into the open. Yuki continued to observe the two of them and then when he saw that they were finished, he sighed. Both Kyo and Tohru had picked up a basket and started to make their way towards the house. For an instant their arms brushed, and inside, Yuki's heart flamed. Each time the two of them were that close, he flinched, but he hid his emotions well, as he had been trained to do all of his life.

Down below, Tohru finished laughing at Kyo's remark about how cats seem to never go away from him. Suddenly, she spotted a flicker upstairs in one of the rooms. A curtain had slowly swayed and she looked up puzzled. Kyo noticed and cocked his head so that his orange hair fell into his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

As if she was taken out of a daze, she turned towards Kyo and smiled once more.

"Nothing! Let's go inside and I'll make something to eat!"

He nodded and shrugged.

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving!"

..:-:..

"What? There's no food?" Kyo asked flabbergasted.

Tohru chuckled sheepishly and then stood upright with her hands at her hips.

"Well that just means I'll have to go to the market and get some more food!"

The kitchen door slid open and Shigure popped his head in cheerfully.

"Did someone say they were going to the market? I'm in the mood for a little trip!"

He walked in and saw Kyo leaning next to the fridge with his arms crossed. Tohru took her apron off and nodded.

"I did! Do you want to come with me Shigure?"

He ran his hands through his hair and nodded enthusiastically.

"All right then, you will be fine by yourself for a while right Kyo?"

Shigure elbowed the sulking figure and Kyo rolled his eyes.

"Of course I'll be fine by myself! Just hurry back will ya? I want to eat sometime today!"

Tohru walked over to the door and she opened it with a gentle shove. Shigure stepped out of the kitchen and shut the door. Kyo sighed deeply and then went to go lay outside idly. The sun shined down on him brilliantly, and soon enough he dozed off.

..:-:..

She slipped into the dreary house with her heart pounding in her chest. Kagura hadn't really talked with him that much, and if so, it wasn't about anything serious. When he had summoned her to meet him one on one, she didn't know what to think. But as each second passed by in the Sohma house, she grew more restless. As she turned the corner, she found the door to the main room and she slid it open carefully. Kagura sighed with extreme relief to see that he wasn't in the room yet. The door slid shut behind her, and she made her way to the center of the room. She sat down with her feet tucked under her legs, and began to twirl her hair in her fingers. After a few moments passed by, she jumped nervously, hearing a few noises outside. Her wide eyes gazed over towards the trees outside and it was then she realized the door to the courtyard was open. Suddenly, she bowed her head hurriedly and kept her eyes on the floor as his footsteps came closer to her. When the echoes stopped, she finally looked up and found herself staring into his dark cold eyes. Akito smiled as warmly as he could and then sat down in front of her. His loose robe hung on him as if he was a hanger and then he sighed as he stared off outdoors.

"Lovely day today, isn't it Kagura?"

She shivered slightly when he said her name and then she managed to smile, the tension inside of her building.

"Yes it is. May I ask to what I owe this visit?"

He turned on her sharply and lifted her hand to her chin. Akito grasped it tightly and pulled her head closer to him so that they were looking at each other on the same eye level. Kagura's breathing was quickening, but she tried to remain calm. He looked at her amused but then his smile vanished into thin air and he leered at her.

"I've heard about your silly little emotions for that estranged cat."

The sweat on her brows began to surface and she swallowed hard.

"What do you mean Akito?"

He let go of her chin and she sat back as straight as possible. Her mind began to race with thoughts and worries, but Akito took no notice, or that's what she thought.

"Don't play dumb with me. It's been going on for some time now and I am sick of your antics. Can't you see he doesn't feel the same way? He thinks you are worthless; the mere mention of you repulses him. You are wasting your life away. That damn cat will never return the affections you show for him. To him, you are invisible."

His sheer delicacy and harsh whispers bore deep down inside of her. Kagura took every word in; each time another attack came out of his mouth, she felt a blow to her heart. She couldn't take it any longer, and the pain seeped out of her heart, her tears spilled down her cheeks. All she could do was look at him; she couldn't move a single muscle and it seemed as if Akito had taken over her soul, causing it to rot in misery. The worst part about it though, was that he was right. He was undoubtedly right.

Akito saw the drops of water form two identical lines on her face. She sat unmoving and still, her sobs subdued and buried inside her entire body. At first he smirked, but then all of a sudden, he stood up and knelt beside her. His arms twisted around her thinly and he patted her back once.

"It's all right Kagura. You don't need him in your life. You can always turn to me."

She looked up at him to see that he was smiling, just like when he had entered the room.

"I'll always be here to guide you."

..:-:..

Shigure and Tohru were done with all of their grocery shopping and they went to the line to go pay. They were in a cheerful mood and then all of a sudden, they heard an exasperated sigh.

"Next."

The couple in front of them left and a familiar face came into their view. His golden eyes lit up at once when he saw his two friends. Ayame leaned forward and Shigure laughed boisterously.

"Well if it isn't Shigure and Tohru! What a pleasant surprise!"

Tohru smiled and cocked her head to the side.

"It's so nice to see you too!"

Shigure frowned out of the blue and then Ayame questioned him.

"What's wrong my dear friend?"

"I'm just rather puzzled… why are you behind the counter working here? Did something happen to your store?"

Ayame sighed sadly and closed his eyes. He leaned his cheek on his hand and stared off into the distance.

"Oh yes, something terrible happened! I lost my passion for my beautiful costumes and I drastically decided to have a career change! Oh how awful it was, those lonely moments of gloom, but alas! I have come back and tried many new occupations, such as the one I am honored with now. I am now a simple and admirable cashier, who is given the honor of selling these priced goods to the hundreds of people who come my way!"

Tohru smiled and sighed happily. Ayame was always such a dramatic and humorous person. Shigure laughed heartily and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Several beeps were heard and before they knew what had happened, Ayame was showing them their receipt.

"My my… you sure do have a talent for this Ayame!"

His light silver hair flowed as he turned his head towards Tohru.

"Yes, but as I look at you now dear, you look so dab in that outfit."

"Who? Me?"

Tohru looked at herself and noted that she was wearing a white short sleeve shirt and a simple carnation colored skirt.

"Oh, I think I have found my inspiration once again! Tohru, you are simply amazing!"

She waved her hand and shook her head while smiling.

"No, really, I'm not that great! You are the great one Ayame!"

Suddenly, he took off his uniform and stood in his plain sleek suit. He twirled out from behind the cashier area and then bowed to Tohru.

"I am through with this marvelous opportunity! Until next time all of you humble customers!"

There were many groans from behind the group as agitated customers shifted to the next line. Shigure put the money down on the counter and then pushed Ayame out of the door. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Ayame waved back hopelessly.

"I will miss you all dear people! Farewell!"

Tohru brimmed as the sun shined down on them.

"Oh Ayame! You are so funny!"

The three of them laughed together as they headed back home.

..:-:..

They walked through the woods joyously. Ayame and Shigure walked a bit behind Tohru but she didn't mind. Their careless laughter boomed throughout the foliage and Tohru smiled to herself. But as they were walking, she heard a light sob and her head turned left and right trying to figure out who it was and where that person was. She stopped abruptly and Shigure almost bumped into her.

"What's wrong Tohru?"

"Oh nothing. The two of you can go on without me. I just want to walk around for a bit."

Shigure eyed her suspiciously but nodded. Ayame's shrill voice could be heard as they marched off.

"Hurry back soon Tohru! We will miss you!"

Tohru smiled and waved but then set out to look for the person whose sob she heard once again. As she made her way through the woods, the trees began to thin out and then she stood at a clearing. The sobbing was at its loudest yet and then she knew why it sounded vaguely familiar. Tohru turned her head and she saw Kagura sitting on a rock, hugging her knees and crying. The breeze blew by calmly and lifted her hair out of her eyes. Kagura didn't even look up when Tohru sat down next to her, but she oddly felt a bit better because of the unknown person's presence.

"Kagura? What are you doing out here by yourself?"

She looked up and saw that Tohru was looking at her with a small smile. For some reason, being near the loveable, kind girl made Kagura feel better, although then she remembered what had happened about two weeks ago. Sadness overwhelmed her heart to know that Kyo didn't care about a stupid boar like herself, especially when he had Tohru Honda to be with. Her sobs came back and Kagura looked away. Tohru put her arm around the crying girl's shoulders and reassured her.

"Do you want to talk about it? That always makes me feel better. What happened?"

Kagura stood up sharply and pointed at her furiously.

"It's you! You're the problem! Ever since you showed up, Kyo has done nothing but ignore me! That day, remember? When it rained and he transformed? I told him that I accepted it, but he didn't care what I thought of him, he only cared about you! And then I stood upstairs, looking down through the window as you ran off after him. Don't you care about other people's feelings Tohru? It's not fair… it's not… fair…"

She broke down again and fell down on the ground with her legs bent. Tohru sat there gaping at the girl. It never crossed her mind that Kagura could have felt that way. She always seemed like such a strong individual, she was never weak and torn apart like this. Tohru stood up slowly and went to Kagura. Her whisper was carried along the wind softly and it reached Kagura's ears with a much yearned softness.

"I'm sorry Kagura, I never meant for Kyo to do that to you. But I'm surprised you are acting like this… I've never seen you cry before."

She looked up at her and then sighed, the tears ceasing to flow.

"I know, I haven't really cried, ever. But since I talked to him…"

Tohru looked at her curiously.

"Talked to who?"

Kagura closed her eyes and wiped away at her cheeks.

"I talked to Akito today. He told me that Kyo thought I was worthless and that he hated me."

Tohru stood up instantly with her fists in the air.

"I can't believe he told you that! That is so mean of him! Don't listen to that nonsense Kagura! Kyo doesn't hate you!"

She stood up slowly and managed to smile.

"Tohru, you know it's true. He always runs away from me and then he can't stand to be near me. When he does stay, it's because of pity."

Tohru looked at the ground and Kagura laughed.

"See! You know it's true! This is so unfair! I care about him so much and he doesn't…"

She looked up at Kagura and an idea sparked in her brain.

"Kagura, how would you like it if I helped get Kyo to notice you?"

Her eyes brimmed with happiness when she heard the words come out of Tohru's mouth.

"Really? You would do that?"

"Of course! You're my friend and I want to help you!"

Kagura leapt at Tohru and hugged her fiercely.

"Thank you so much Tohru. You're the best!"

She smiled and nodded.

"Okay, then listen up! We are going to go back to the house, and when we get inside, don't talk to Kyo and don't go near him."

Kagura's mouth dropped open and she threw her arms in the air.

"What? Why would I do that? I don't even know if I _can_ do it!"

"Kagura, you said you wanted Kyo to notice you, correct?"

She nodded her head and listened silently.

"And you trust me, so do as I say, and I will guarantee that Kyo will notice you a lot more!"

Tohru winked at her and then linked her arm with Kagura's arm. The two of them walked through the woods and back towards the house. Kagura looked on eagerly, full of hope.

..:-:..

Kyo woke up sometime later and then walked into the kitchen lazily. He scratched his head and opened the fridge to see that it was still empty. He jumped back and put his hands to his head.

"What? They aren't back yet? I can't believe it! Do they want to starve me or something?"

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened and Kyo rolled his eyes.

"Not you! I thought you were Tohru with the food!"

Yuki cocked his head and went to go sit down at the table.

"I really don't understand how you could have thought that I resemble a cheerful girl like Tohru."

Kyo stepped towards him with his fists clenched.

"Are you trying to make fun of me? You want to start something wise guy?"

It was at that moment that the door opened once again, but instead of Tohru, Shigure stepped inside.

"Finally! Could you two have taken any longer?"

Kyo took the bags away from Shigure greedily and he merely laughed. His laughter was echoed by another, which was livelier, and it was louder as well. Yuki's head turned sharply and his mouth dropped when he saw that his brother followed Shigure inside of the kitchen. Ayame danced inside cheerfully when he saw his young brother look away.

"Oh Yuki! My dear brother! I come here once again and hope that our bond can be deepened!"

He stood up abruptly and pushed his chair aside. Yuki passed his elder brother swiftly and walked out of the room. Ayame stuttered when the door slammed shut.

"My dear Yuki! Something is wrong with him! I must go and find out what it is!"

And with that, Ayame was out of the kitchen with a bounce. Kyo was already eating something and he shook his head.

"Those two are really different."

Shigure laughed and began to put away the groceries.

"So you can tell?"

Just then, the kitchen door opened for about the tenth time that day.

"We're back!"

Tohru's voice was melodious and Kyo smiled when he saw her. Shigure turned around and then peered behind her shoulder.

"Who's that there?"

When Kagura stepped into the light, Kyo jumped away instantly. She closed her eyes and tried to contain herself.

"Kagura! It's so nice to see you again!"

She opened them and smiled at Shigure.

"Hi… I hope you don't mind… is it okay if I stay here for a couple of days?"

Kyo's mouth twitched and his heart began to race. There was no way that crazy woman was going to jump all over him again for a couple of days! But after a few moments, he didn't feel his head throbbing, or his body being pummeled to the ground. He grew confused and then startled when he realized that Kagura wasn't even inching towards him at all. In fact, she hadn't even spoken to him. Tohru saw the new dawning of knowledge in Kyo's face and she smiled.

"Of course you can stay Kagura! I put all the groceries away Tohru."

"Great! Kagura and I will make dinner!"

She took her by the arm and led her to the fridge. Shigure stretched his arms out and then scratched the back of his neck.

"Well then, I guess I'm going to go read. Will you call me when dinner is ready?"

Kagura looked back at Shigure and smiled broadly.

"We will!"

The door opened and shut. Kyo stood near the corner like a statue. He observed the two of them and then came to the conclusion that Tohru must have hit Kagura over the head and she had lost her memory temporarily. The first thing Kyo needed to do was get out of the kitchen before she regained it, but then again, it was so amazing to just be in the same room as her and not receive a mauling from her. But the choice was clear, and he snuck out of the kitchen as fast as possible. Even though he was light on his feet, and he had closed the door very quietly, Kagura heard him move and she let out a big sigh of frustration.

"I can't do this Tohru! It's too hard to pretend like he's not there!"

"But you have to! Trust me… after a few days, he will be the one who goes up to you."

Kagura smiled and then went over to the sink.

"I'm going to wash all of these for you because you are so nice!"

She put her fist in the air and then began to scrub at all the dirty plates. Tohru just smiled and started to prepare dinner.

..:-:..

Ayame found his brother in no time at all. Yuki saw him following him into the forest and he growled furiously.

"Can you please stay away from me? I really am in no mood to talk to you right now."

"But Yuki! I'm your brother! Please tell me why you are so upset! I want to help!"

He turned on his heel and then pointed a finger at his older brother's chest.

"You want to help? You are crazy and eccentric! Ayame, you are never serious and have never once suffered the way I do!"

Ayame stepped back astonished at Yuki's commanding yells. He had never seen him act that way. He looked away and then the playful smile vanished. Yuki looked at him, his gaze softened a bit.

"I'm sorry. I guess I have never really been serious. You are right."

The sun was beginning to set and the red-orange colors swept through the top of the trees.

"I just want you to know that even though I seem a bit bizarre at times, I do mean the best for you. I'm always here for you, even though I wasn't when you were younger."

Yuki hung his head and then his voice became a hushed whisper.

"Do you think that she will like me as she likes him?"

Ayame turned his head towards his younger brother and he heard the sadness in his voice.

"I don't know who you possibly could be talking about, but if a girl didn't like my younger brother, it would be a personal attack on me! So I won't have any of this talk, do you hear? There's no way that a girl wouldn't like you Yuki! It's just not humanely possible!"

Yuki lifted his head and for the first time, he chuckled while in the presence of his older brother.

"There now! That's the Yuki I want to see! How about we go back and see if dinner is ready? Tohru bought some delicious food you know!"

..:-:..

The kitchen was filled with a warm smell of fish and Kyo couldn't wait any longer. He and Shigure were already sitting down at the table in the dinning room. The door opened, but it was Ayame and Yuki that came inside.

"You two? Where's the food! This day has been completely unbearable."

The four men sat in silence as Ayame drummed his fingers on the table. Suddenly, they all jerked up when the door opened. Tohru came in first with a tray of fish that steamed its warmth up into the air.

"Who wants some fish for dinner?"

Yuki rolled his eyes and sighed. But he couldn't complain because it was food after all. Kyo sat up straight and licked his lips.

"Finally! Some good food!"

Suddenly, Kagura came in with another tray and his smile froze in midair. He looked away quickly and Kagura managed to keep her cool. She set the food down on the table and then sat next to Tohru. Kyo was all the way on the other side at the other end and she couldn't really see him. Tohru kept talking with her and she became distracted easily. As Kyo ate, he kept eying Kagura intensely. Something was seriously wrong if she had not even said a word to him all day and all night. They all finished dinner and no fight had ensued between anyone. Tohru and Kagura gladly cleaned up the dishes and with a bit of elbow grease, they managed to finish rapidly. The two girls walked upstairs and Tohru showed Kagura to an unoccupied room.

"Here you go. I hope you sleep well tonight!"

As she was about to close the door, Kagura put her hand on Tohru's arm and smiled.

"Thank you so much for everything Tohru. I really appreciate your help."

"No problem! Just stay strong and stick with it! Have a good night!"

Tohru closed the door and then walked down the hall to her own room. Once she closed the door, she fell onto her bed with a sigh. Her eyes opened when she felt something underneath her back. She sat up and then saw a note crumpled up on her bed. She took the paper into her hands and then walked over to the window to get some light. Outside, a bird chirped and then fluttered away. Tohru seemed confused but unfolded the note and read it.

'Tohru- 

_I must meet with you again to discuss urgent matters. I will meet you tomorrow morning, just after dawn at the Sohma residence. Tell no one of this note or of what I ask of you._

_-Akito'_

She read the note about five more times until she accepted its validity. It was indeed a note from Akito and then she crumpled it up. First he had talked to Kagura, and now he wanted to talk to her. She had no idea what he had in store for her but she knew that she wouldn't let him get to her.

"I will tell him what I think of his little talk with Kagura! He has no right to treat her like that."

Tohru slipped into bed and lay awake with her eyes wandering towards the white moon in the dark sky. Something was nagging at her, maybe it was because he wanted her to keep it a secret, but it made sense too. If she told the rest of the family, they wouldn't let her go without them to escort… just like last time. Perhaps he had unfinished matters to discuss with her, matters that couldn't be spoken of in front of other Sohmas. As her eyes began to droop and as she yawned, she hoped that it was only that.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so that is the first chapter… I don't know how long this will be maybe around 8-10 chapters… I don't think much longer than that. I hope this chapter was good… I really don't have that much experience writing a fic ….a true anime based fic :) I hope most of it was in character… I know that some of it probably wasn't like Kagura… YES, I know she would never be like this… but I believe that something changed inside of her after that last episode… so that is why I'm going to have her act like this ….

So I really hope that you liked it… and the next chapters will be better! I promise! Thanks for reading and have an awesome day!

-Monika-


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_The fog started to disperse when all of a sudden a shriek echoed all around him. Yuki turned around in circles, desperately trying to find the source of the distress. He heard it again, and this time he recognized the voice; it was Tohru. Yuki started to run through the remaining mist and in the distance he saw the light becoming brighter. Tohru was struggling to walk towards him; each step she took, more drops of blood would spill down her neck. Yuki finally reached her and she collapsed in his arms. His eyes widened as she felt himself holding all of her weight; he hadn't transformed._

_Her small, frightened eyes looked up at him and her lips parted slightly. Red liquid trickled down from her lips and he shook her gently._

"_Tohru, what happened?" _

_She moaned and closed her eyes. Yuki was beside himself, he wouldn't let her die; he cared too much about her. Suddenly, as he turned her over, her body became limp and her head swayed to the right._

The fog lifted and his body flew out of the darkness. His chest jerked upwards and he scanned the room wildly. There was no blood on the floors, and instead of pitch black, sunlight streamed through the window. Yuki put a hand to his head and sighed. It had all been a dream, but yet it felt so real to him. Pushing the notion out of his head, he got up and started to get ready for the morning. From the bright skies, he realized that he had overslept. Yuki hurried downstairs, hoping he'd see her so that he would finally feel at ease. When he slid the door to the dining room open, his jaw dropped. Shigure was sitting there crying and Kyo had rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?"

Shigure picked his head up from his hands and cried out.

"Oh Yuki! It's horrible! Tohru isn't here to give us our morning intake of delicious food!"

His eyes widened and then he looked at Kyo.

"What does he mean that Tohru isn't here?"

Kyo grumbled irritably and sighed.

"It's not that big of a deal. She went out to get some fruits or something."

Yuki didn't stick around any longer. He raced back upstairs and threw open the door to Tohru's room. Yuki stood panting, observing the clean room. Everything was as tidy as could be, except for her bed. There was a single slip of paper on it. He picked it up and his eyes scanned it quickly.

_I'm going for a walk and I'll probably be back soon with some fruits. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. – Tohru_

Suddenly he got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. They already had fruits because she had bought them just yesterday. His paranoia won and he ran out of the house without a backwards glance.

..:-:..

The echoing sobs had given Kyo a headache and he stood up angrily.

"Will you quit it? She'll probably be back in a few minutes! I'm sick of listening to you complaining!"

Shigure put a hand on his stomach and sniffed.

"But I'm hungry! What will we do without dear Tohru?"

He chuckled at his clever rhyme, but soon enough he frowned. Once again, Kyo grumbled and sat back down, his cheek resting against his fist. Suddenly the door slid open and the two of them sat up straight. Shigure smiled but Kyo leapt back in fear, his arms extended out in front of him. Kagura looked at Kyo for a split second and then walked over to Shigure happily. She set a basket of fruits down on the table and she smiled as Shigure's eyes lit up.

"Kagura! You are a genius! When Tohru's gone, we need not worry, for we have Kagura to make the curry!"

Shigure sweat dropped as Kyo glared at him. Kagura laughed merrily and then Kyo turned on her. She was infuriating him. First he had expected her to attack him, and now she was ignoring him. She looked down at the basket and she played with her hands below the table. She was trying her best to contain herself. With a small voice she looked at Kyo from underneath her bangs.

"Don't you want some fruit Kyo?"

He put his hands on his head and then stood up. Kyo pointed at her accusingly.

"Stop it! Stop trying to be like Tohru! You're not going to replace her, no matter how hard you try!"

Kagura's mouth dropped down and her eyes started to become blurry. Kyo started to catch his breath when he noticed the stillness in the room. Shigure was shocked numb and Kagura's eyes glistened more each second. Suddenly, as he lowered his arm, Kagura stood up and looked down at the ground.

"Please excuse me, I…"

She turned around and left the room quietly. When Kyo heard the door close gently, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Smart move Kyo. You got rid of the person who brought us food. If I were you…"

He stopped mid sentence and smiled as he heard the door close once again.

..:-:..

Kagura ran into the forest, the tears streaming down her face. It felt like her heart had been wrenched out and stepped on. After all of her hard work, Kyo had still told her that it was getting her nowhere. She stopped running and then sat down on a rock in the middle of nowhere. Her light sobs died away and then she stared absently around her. Kagura didn't even hear the footsteps and the grass crumpling under his feet.

"Uh… Kagura?"

She didn't move; her eyes stayed fixed on the tree in front of her. Kyo sighed and then tapped his foot impatiently.

"So is that it? You're just going to ignore me?"

Her head didn't even move and it was the wind that rustled her hair gently. Kyo took a sharp intake of air and then put his hand to his forehead. His gaze narrowed and he closed his eyes.

"Fine! Be that way! I don't know why I'm here anyway!"

Kyo turned around and started to walk away. He stopped suddenly though, and looked back. Her shoulders moved up and down softly and her head turned away. Her face was hidden, and he still hadn't seen her expression at all, but from the looks of it, she wasn't happy at all. With another deep breath, he reproached her.

"I'm sorry all right?"

Her back went rigid and then Kyo stepped in front of her. She put her hands over her face but he had already seen her bloodshot eyes. He knelt down next to her and took her hands in his. Kagura's mouth parted open and she stared at him incredulously. His face was right in front of hers and he wasn't running away from her. Inside, she started to feel a little better and then she took her hands back and wiped her eyes. Kyo stood up and then outstretched his arm. She took his hand and he helped her stand up. The wind blew by in the tops of the trees and Kagura shuddered a bit. He let go of her hand and then looked away. Her face lit up with radiance but then she remembered that she had to be consistent, like Tohru had said.

"Thanks Kyo, for saying that."

He looked at her and she smiled brilliantly. Kyo half expected her to pounce on him and hug him tightly, but she just smiled. His mouth hung agape and he watched as she began to walk back towards the house. For some reason, he found himself running after her.

"Wait up!"

Kagura turned around abruptly and saw that he was running to her. In the back of her mind, fireworks exploded at the celebration that her plan was working. Kyo stood next to her panting and then she cocked her head to the side.

"Yes?"

Kyo put a hand behind his head and then looked away for a moment.

"Well we're both going back right?"

She nodded and then realized that he meant that he wanted to walk back with her. They started to walk, their steps leaving footprints in the dented blades of grass. With each second, the sun seemed to shine brighter and the birds started to chirp more. The house came into view and Kagura ran up to the porch.

"Hurry up Kyo! You didn't eat anything yet!"

He watched her disappear into the house and then suddenly he felt his stomach grumble. A smile found its way onto his lips as he put a hand over his sweater.

..:-:..

Tohru was wandering around the town aimlessly. She hadn't figured out what to do about Akito's note yet. There was always the chance that something horrible could happen when she stepped inside of that house, but it could also turn out all right. Maybe he just needed to tell her something, like a problem of sorts. Still, she was undecided, and soon enough she realized that the sun was high up in the sky. Tohru slapped her forehead and her mouth dropped open.

"Oh no! I completely forgot about breakfast! Shigure and everyone else must be starving!"

She was about to turn around and go home when a dark figure stepped out of the alleyway. Tohru's eyes grew large and she put a hand to her mouth. She whimpered, his slight smirk and deep eyes gazing over her face. He leaned against the fence and his voice shattered the still air around her with a terrifying softness.

"Tohru, it's nice to see you. But it is rather late, isn't it? Did you not receive my note?"

She swallowed hard and tried to remain calm as he moved closer to her. Akito put his hands in his pocket and sighed.

"I… I'm sorry… I was just out doing some shopping and it slipped my mind… but I swear I was going to come talk to you!"

He chuckled to himself shortly and then he looked up at her while his head bowed to the ground.

"Of course you were."

Akito stepped up to her and Tohru's mouth dropped as he brushed her hair with his finger. His face was inches away from hers and then his eyes stared into hers, bearing a bottomless fear inside of her heart.

"You will come tomorrow. It is very urgent that I _speak_ with you, as early as possible."

He smiled suddenly and then turned around, vanishing into the dark alley. Tohru stood there dumbstruck. Her heartbeat slowed down and she took a deep breath. Akito hadn't _asked_ her to come, he had _told_ her to do so. She swallowed again and then jumped when she felt someone's presence coming towards her.

"Tohru!"

The shock was swept away as she recognized the voice. She turned around and smiled when she saw Yuki running towards her. He stopped and panted, putting his hands on his knees. Tohru put her hand on his shoulder and then peered down at his discolored face.

"Yuki! Are you all right?"

He stood up and took a deep breath. She was absolutely fine and no blood was on her neck or anywhere near her. Yuki smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine. But are you all right?"

The question startled her and then she realized what he had meant. She was gone all morning and she had left a simple note.

"Oh! You mean about me being gone! I'm so sorry to worry you! But you really shouldn't have run around trying to find me! I'm fine, really!"

She smiled genuinely but inside her thoughts were spinning. Tohru had never actually lied about anything and this situation about Akito was something serious. But Yuki's warm eyes smiled at her and she felt safe for the time being. Thoughts of that dim person slipped away as they started to make their way back towards the house. Before they went home though, they took a detour and went to the secret base. Yuki nodded his head after he let Tohru water the plants.

"You've really gotten used to this planting stuff, haven't you Tohru?"

She smiled happily and her warmth seeped into his arms and the rest of his body. Somehow, she always made him feel so much better than before. Clouds patted the sky above them and little shadows danced across the garden.

"Oh, thank you! It really is a lot of fun though. I get to be someone else for a while. Instead of regular Tohru Honda, I am Tohru Honda- The Gardener of a secret base!"

The two of them laughed together and as she put the bucket of water down, Yuki walked up to her cautiously. For a moment he sighed, thinking of his dream, and how for a few fleeting minutes, he had been able to hold her in his arms. He longed to do that, to hold her and tell her how he really felt, but it was impossible. The curse would forever prevent him from being anything closer than friends with her, and it broke his heart. Tohru turned around and then saw the lonely expression in his eyes. Her face softened and she leaned her head in to take a closer look.

"Yuki, is something wrong?"

He snapped back to attention and then smiled, seeing her worried face in front of him. Yuki waved his hands and smiled.

"Oh no, how can anything be wrong when you're here?"

She smiled shyly and looked at the garden with happiness filling up her heart. It felt so right being with him for some reason. Tohru always felt her best when she was around Yuki, but she really didn't seem to understand why. She looked back at him, and to her surprise he was still looking at her with a warm smile across his face. Suddenly, she felt herself blush and she put her hands in front of her face frantically.

"Uh, maybe we should go back? I bet Shigure is very hungry, and, and…oh! I still need to finish up the chores! And do the dishes, and I still have to…"

She stopped rambling as Yuki put a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes went round as she looked at him.

"Tohru, you don't have to be super woman all the time, you know."

They laughed together and then started to walk away from the secret base. Her smile didn't fade away, and neither did Yuki's.

..:-:..

As they walked near the house, the door slid open and Kagura ran outside. She nearly pummeled Tohru and she hugged her fiercely.

"Tohru! You've been gone so long! I was beginning to worry!"

Tohru looked at Kagura's face with a sad smile. To think that Akito had been so cruel to her, and that she was going to see him the next morning. Suddenly she felt burdened by those dark thoughts and of worry for herself. However, there was no possible way for her to tell Kagura, or anyone else, that Akito wanted to talk to her, alone.

"I'm fine Kagura, I was just out walking for a bit, right Yuki?"

He nodded and Kagura looked at them with a sigh.

"All right. I guess if you say so. Tohru, you need to help me though! I can't get Shigure to stop crying. He says he misses your cooking."

They smiled and as Kagura dragged Tohru inside, she looked back and waved to Yuki. He waved back and then his hand fell to his side as the door shut close. Yuki was about to walk inside himself when a voice stopped him.

"So what were the two of you _really_ doing?"

Kyo's sneering voice startled him, and when he turned around he crossed his eyes and stood firmly rooted to the ground.

"Like she said, Tohru was out for a walk. I went to go look for her, and we came back. Good enough for you?"

Kyo rolled his eyes lazily and crossed his arms.

"Sure…"

Yuki suddenly realized that he had left the house empty except for Shigure, Kagura and Kyo. A smirk found its way onto his face and when Kyo saw this, he started to become angry.

"What are you smirking for?"

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking of how _awful_ it must have been to spend the day with crazy Kagura."

A faint pink blush spread itself on Kyo's cheeks. Yuki turned around, knowing that his work was complete. Kyo was already frustrated by his remark and before Kyo could do anything, or retort, Yuki was gone.

"What did he mean by that? It _was_ awful…"

He looked around and narrowed his eyes.

"What does he know anyways?"

..:-:..

Kagura and Tohru were in the kitchen once again. Shigure had been ecstatic when he saw Tohru come into the house, so much that he had almost hugged her. But Kagura leapt in between the two of them and then Shigure stood back, and laughed.

"That was silly of me! I just can't wait for one of your meals Tohru!"

"That's okay Shigure! I'll have dinner done in no time at all!"

She smiled broadly and then he left her alone with Kagura. Inside, she was dreading the fact that the day was going to end. Tohru knew that if she didn't go tomorrow, something terrible would happen. She had angered Akito; there was no doubt about it. He always had the power to erase her memory, and she didn't want that to happen. As she made dinner, Kagura observed Tohru curiously.

"Tohru, is something troubling you? You seem distant."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing really. I guess I was just out in the sun too much. How did your day go by? It seems as if Kyo isn't so hysterical anymore."

Kagura's face lit up instantly and Tohru smiled.

"You won't believe it! This morning I came in and gave Kyo and Shigure some fruits and Kyo said some very mean things to me, but that doesn't matter because I ran away crying!"

Tohru's eyes widened and she was about to say something, but Kagura kept talking.

"So then Kyo came after me! Can you believe it? At first he was angry, but then he said he was sorry! He never apologized to me before! It's all because of your advice Tohru! Thank you so much!"

She hugged her friend again and Tohru nodded.

"I knew it would work," she winked and continued, "all you need is to never give up hope! What happened after that?"

Kagura looked away dreamily and smiled to herself.

"We didn't say anything at all to each other. It was the best!"

Tohru sweat dropped and put a hand on the back of her head.

"Well I guess that's better than having arguments!"

The two of them smiled happily and began to work on dinner again. Tohru was happy for Kagura and Kyo. She had always figured they would work through their disagreements. Her thoughts wandered back to Akito and she scrubbed the dishes even more. Suddenly, she saw a bird flutter to the window above the sink and she knew that somewhere deep inside, something would happen, and it would change her life forever.

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter was shorter of course… I guess I just didn't have the inspiration… mostly because I didn't know if the people who read it liked the first chapter…. Those who _did_ review, I thank you SO much and I'm awfully sorry that this is such a late update. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise! And it's a big "Akito" chapter (wink wink) lol ;)

I hope you like the story so far! I might update again this week, or I might not, I'll see how things go :) Have a wonderful day! And review if you please could:D

-Monika-


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** IMPORTANT: I've changed this fic to a rating of **'M'**. The following chapter, I've decided, is what will make this fic that rating… so if you believe that you will be able to handle the "dark" theme that I promised from the start… then you are welcome to read on. My only hope is that if you do, that you won't abandon reading this fic because of this chapter… and what happens in it. Also, one thing I'd like to point out is that I did say that this fic is based after the end of the anime… meaning Akito is a MAN… contrary to the weird things I've heard that he is a girl… anyways… just wanted to make that clear… hehe… okay… here we go… enjoy?…

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Tohru shifted in her bed slightly and then opened her eyes immediately when she heard the chirping of the bird on the window ledge. The shiver crept down her spine in a hurried state, as if trying to get out of her body. She stepped out of bed, and got ready quietly, not wanting to think of what was going to happen. Outside, the light was growing and soon enough the sun would appear in the horizon, above the treetops. Tohru wrote another note hastily, and then walked downstairs as quietly as possible. Suddenly, she stopped and the hair on her arms rose.

"Tohru? Where are you going?"

She had almost made it to the door, and then she turned around to see Kagura standing there, looking at her suspiciously.

"Kagura, I'm just going for another walk… I'll be back soon."

Her eyes looked at Tohru apprehensively, almost not sure if she should believe her friend's words. Tohru Honda never lied however, and she nodded her head.

"Okay… what should I do about breakfast, if you're not back by then?"

"I know you'll be able to think of something… have a good morning Kagura!"

Tohru stepped outside and inhaled the fresh air that was around her. The sun was about to rise and she looked to the sky anxiously. She needed the beautiful colors of the sunrise to help give her courage and strength. With every step she took, the patches of clear sky got brighter, and finally, after she made it out of the forest, she found herself looking at a small hue of light orange. She smiled broadly and closed her eyes. Tohru was going to be able to do it. She needed to help Akito on her own. A couple of weeks ago, she had only been able to breakthrough to him, and now she hoped that maybe she could get him to at least smile.

The world began to wake around her and as she stepped up to the Sohma household, she felt a shiver run down her spine. Tohru took another deep breath and was about to knock on the door, when the breeze blew by. The door creaked and she pushed it open further. The wind began to increase its gust, causing her skirt and hair to be whisked towards the house. Tohru made it inside without much of a problem. The towering rooftops were above her, and she took off her shoes quietly. She had not the faintest idea of where to go, but nevertheless, she kept going forward.

Suddenly, as she traced the halls, a sound came from behind one of the doors and Tohru stood still. Her heart was beginning to race and her eyes widened fearfully. For the first time, she would be alone in the house with Akito; no one would be there to help her if he tried to hurt her. The weakness gnawing at her energy tried to hold her back, but she pushed the thoughts away and one foot after the other, she made it to the unknown door. Her fingers trembled as she touched the ridges and pushed. Sliding the door had surprisingly taken almost all of her strength, but she sighed as she saw that no one was in the room. It was simple and quaint. There was a large comfy bed and a balcony was on the other side of the doors near the window. Suddenly, the realization hit her. It was the window where she had seen Akito for the first time. That meant, that this was Akito's room.

Tohru jumped up with fright as she heard the door slam shut behind her. She whirled around and fell back a few steps as his face crept closer to her. A gentle smirk was placed on his lips and his robe hung around on his shoulders loosely. Every muscle in Tohru's body tightened as she stood up straight and then bowed down to him, her hair falling towards the floor. Akito chuckled to himself and put his fingers underneath her chin, lifting her head up from its bowed position.

"Why are you being so formal towards me? I want that to end from this moment forth, understood?"

Her jaw tightened and she nodded her head vigorously. His fingers slipped away from her chin, leaving a prickling sensation on her skin. She watched as he walked over to the open window. Akito fell down onto the ledge and observed the rising sun. Tohru put her hands together and watched him intently, not sure of what he wanted from her.

"You came on time. The sun has now risen."

Tohru shifted in place as the soft swaying of the trees outside tricked her senses into calming down. Akito didn't say anything for a while; he just gazed outside as if searching for the right words to start with. Tohru grew tiresome and drowsy. She sat down on the bed and ran her hand across the warm blanket. Suddenly, she turned her head towards Akito as she heard his delicate voice.

"Would you be truly sad if I died?"

The question startled her and Tohru's thoughts ran back to that one day a couple of weeks ago. She swallowed hard and then looked at his back, waiting for him to turn around. Her voice didn't tremble, and for some reason, it was straight and it was soft like his voice. Something was happening to Tohru, being in his presence for so long, but she didn't know it just then.

"Of course I would be sad Akito, I don't lie."

He turned abruptly and leapt to her side. Akito put his hands to his hips as he leaned his head towards her. Tohru's eyes flashed wide and she put her arms back against the pillows on the bed.

"Is that right? You have _never_ lied before?"

Suddenly, she realized that she had in fact lied. Tohru had lied to everyone back at home and especially to Kagura. She had said the nonexistent truth right through her teeth. As the realization spread across her face, Akito's eyes brimmed with a foreign excitement.

"Ah… so you see then… how alike the two of us are?"

Tohru turned her head towards him and she stared right into his dark brooding eyes. Her heart was beating faster each second and it seemed as if time had stopped all together. His breath was on top of hers and her thoughts were beginning to cloud. What was going on?

"How are you the same as me?" she breathed out, almost a whisper.

Akito began to move closer towards her and she scurried away from him, towards the headboard and the wall above it. He snickered at her panic and the evil protruded from his face and into the air around them.

"Tohru, you are the same as I am. You try and help the others, but really, you _tell _them what to do. Just like I, you want what's best for everyone, for Yuki, for Kyo, and Shigure, and every other Sohma, even _me_. You want what's best for me too, don't you? That's why you came here."

His face was an inch away from hers and she couldn't control her breathing anymore. Her vision began to become blurry, everything except for his cynical face. Her body was overwhelmed with fear and exhaustion. She was trying her best to keep him away, but when he finally grasped her wrists, something inside of her gave away, and she was lost to his commanding strength. He leaned in next to her cheek and whispered dreadfully in her ear. The hairs on her arms stood on end and she closed her eyes in pain.

"Answer me Tohru."

She took a deep breath of air and then knew she had to be on his good side if she didn't want him to hurt her. It was too late to regret coming to him; she had to find a way out.

"Yes Akito… I want to help you."

He pulled away slightly and his heavy presence lifted off of her for a moment. She opened her eyes and saw that he was kneeling on the bed in front of her. Her back was against the headboard and the pillows were thrown lazily around her legs. Tohru's gaze shifted towards Akito and then she whimpered. On his face was the cruelest smile she had ever seen. It haunted everything inside of her, and she knew that somehow, she wouldn't come out of the room the same as when she had walked into it.

"Good. I'm glad that you consent. You know that I will die soon."

Tohru nodded and tried to remain calm.

"And you know that I bear the weight of the Sohma curse, but yet, I am not_ affected_ by it."

He leaned in closer once again and placed his hands on her upper arms. She winced at the pressure and the weight pressing down on her. Tohru looked up at his eyes and the horror spread through her like wildfire. Akito's crooked smile vanished and his face became silently still. At once she knew why he had wanted to talk to her. Slowly, Akito let himself fall down to her.

"I have never been loved by anyone. No one cares about me, even if they say they do. But I know _you_ do, that you would do anything to help me. I will die soon, and not once have I had joy in my life. Tohru, you will bring me the joy that life is meant to bestow upon me. You will _love_ me, and no one else."

His face was a moment away from crashing into hers. His body weighed down on top of hers heavily and she was weaker than she had ever been. Tears formed in her eyes and then she took a sharp intake of breath as she felt his dry lips on her cheek. She opened her eyes and felt the tips of his hair brush her forehead gently. An eerie silence filled the room as they stared at each other. Akito finally parted his lips and a soft calming noise came out of his mouth.

"Please don't Akito… please don't hurt me…"

He put his frail hand to her forehead and brushed away her sweaty bangs. His cool breath swirled on her hot skin and she closed her eyes, peaceful bliss overtaking her. She felt relaxed and safe. Suddenly, her eyes jerked open as his lips crashed into hers. His hands kept her still as his mouth grazed over hers lavishly. Bitter coldness swept through her lungs as she struggled to take a single breath of air. The dark presence of the head of the Sohma family began to seep into her as the fear instilled itself in every muscle of her body. Akito lifted his mouth momentarily and before she could press her lips together, a black mist swam through the air, from Akito's mouth into hers. She closed her mouth and then immediately gasped. Her eyes widened and grew large. Akito ran his hand across her forehead and his fingers fell down the side of her face and her neck. His robe slipped slightly off of his shoulders as he leaned his head into hers once again.

Tohru suddenly felt at complete ease. Akito's grip on her didn't bear so much strength anymore, and she felt the urge to wrap her arms around him. She clung to him tightly and kissed him fiercely. Akito began to struggle for breath himself as she ran her hands down his chest. He moaned softly as she pushed him against the headboard. The status and power had switched. Tohru lifted her head and gazed onto his face fondly. He was so soft, and his eyes were so deep and dark. Her insides craved everything about him. Suddenly, as he flickered his eyes open, Tohru saw not eyes, but bottomless pools of black. Everything switched off inside of her, and the dread spread through her heart once again. She pulled away gasping but Akito smiled wickedly as he lunged for her.

"Come to me Tohru… help me feel _loved…_"

She tried to push him off of her, but his weight bore down on her again. His mouth pushed against her neck, and his hands ran through her hair, grasping it and pulling her head in every which direction. The pain shot through her mind and soul. Suddenly, as his lips found their way to hers again, she didn't feel afraid anymore. Instead, she felt the rule of lust. She kissed him back and then rolled on top of him. He grabbed at her sleeves and the white cloth ripped, leaving her shoulders bear and cold. Akito ran his hands across her back and then kissed the bottom of her neck softly. She cooed to his touch, and then sat up alert. Akito pushed himself up and looked at her with a sinister expression on his face.

"What's wrong… do you need something? I'll be happy to get it for you…"

She turned her head towards him suddenly and her hand came flying through the air. His smile was swept away at the touch of her slap. Akito's cheek reddened and then he growled at her furiously, his eyes thinning and becoming small.

"You'll regret that!"

He grabbed at her shoulders and dug his fingers into her skin. Tohru tried to pull away and then she cried out in pain as the streaks of faint blood appeared on her left shoulder. Akito pulled her to him once again, and pressed his lips on hers. She poured her hands over his shoulder and pulled him to her by his neck. He whimpered as she let him fall down to the bed with a thud. Tohru instantly tore away from him, and ran to the door, wincing with each step. Akito turned and she froze, hoping he wouldn't kill her.

"I had something else in mind, but I guess that won't happen today. I hope you will come tomorrow as well. If you don't, terrible things will occur to those you _love_…" his mouth parted slightly and then he whispered hauntingly, "I am looking forward to seeing you again."

His eyes and slouched figure bore deep inside of her soul, and somewhere behind her fatigue, a roaring fire awoke. The desire to be with him would creep into her, and she would listen to him and obey. She tore her gaze away and slammed the door as she heard his faint snickering fade. Tears streamed down her face as she ran to the front of the house. She slipped her shoes on and ran away shivering.

..:-:..

After running for many blocks, she had stopped and began to regain her strength. The scratches on her shoulder weren't too noticeable, but she still had the problem of her missing sleeves. Everyone would surely ask about that. But she didn't have anything else with her, so Tohru hoped that she could make it to her room without anyone noticing. She continued to walk through the dense forest and she shivered remembering what had just happened to her.

Tohru had never been kissed before. It was something she always read about in fairytales. The knight would come up to save the princess in his shinning armor, and then they would kiss happily. Her first kiss had been nothing like that. Instead, it was filled with evil lust and it sucked the breath out of her. She felt like he was taking her spirit away from her, and every second she was in that room with him, it felt like an ongoing battle was forming inside of her. Tohru shivered as she remembered how the lustful feeling had filled her soul, and all she had wanted was to kiss him and lure him into her. Tears formed in her eyes as she began to lose the happiness that used to dwell inside her heart. She looked up at the sun, and realized that it was right above her in the sky. It was noon, and for once, she didn't seem to mind.

The journey to the house had been uneventful and Tohru managed to sneak up to her room unnoticed. She took a deep breath of air, but her hair fell around her face and hung there limply. Tohru changed into an oversized blue shirt and tied her hair back. As she walked downstairs, she jumped when she heard her name.

"Tohru! I didn't see you there!"

Shigure smiled but then scratched his chin in puzzlement. She seemed to be different somehow. Tohru looked at Shigure and smiled back weakly.

"Sorry I was gone so long… I just like to take walks now, and I guess I lose track of the time easily."

He nodded and watched her slump towards the kitchen. As she passed him, a cold draft seemed to blow past, and he shivered. Something was definitely wrong.

Tohru opened the doors to the kitchen and saw that Kagura and Kyo were standing next to the sink. They both turned to her when they heard the noise and Kagura smiled joyously.

"Tohru, you're back!"

She ran up to her friend, but Tohru pushed her away gently. Tohru brought her arms close to her body and slouched slightly to herself. Kagura's eyes narrowed and she frowned.

"Sorry Kagura… it's just that I'm really tired and … I think I'm getting sick… but don't worry about me… I just don't want you to get sick too…"

Kyo looked at her and rolled his eyes as he pointed to her head.

"Of course you're sick! You've been outside right before dawn for the past two mornings! Don't you think that it's a bit cold at that time to be taking a walk? Geez… no sense at all Tohru…"

Kagura looked at Kyo and smiled sadly. She turned back towards Tohru and nodded.

"I agree with Kyo. You have to take better care of yourself."

Tohru was getting annoyed with them. For some reason, with every passing moment, she was beginning to hate the sight of the two of them. Her eyes widened fearfully at her own thoughts, and then she took a deep breath of air. Kyo cocked his eyebrow and leaned in closer to get a better look at her.

"Are you sure you are all right?"

Tohru closed her eyes for a second and then opened them up with a smile.

"Of course I am all right! Tohru Honda never lets herself get down!"

She turned from them and her smile vanished instantly. She muttered something to herself and made her way for the door. Kyo stepped right next to Kagura and when she noticed how close they were, a faint blush spread across her cheeks. Her heart spread with joy and that was when the moment was ruined. Kyo realized that he had subconsciously stood next to Kagura. At once he backed away and Kagura giggled.

"What's so funny?"

Kagura's laughter died right away and she scurried to the sink.

"Nothing! Sorry…"

Kyo's mouth dropped and he eyed her curiously. She had been acting so strangely, not at all like herself. Now Tohru was acting up as well. He turned around to see if she was still there when he saw the door slide open in front of Tohru. Yuki froze at the sight of Tohru and her eyes flashed in astonishment.

"Tohru! I've been looking everywhere for you! I was worried and thought…"

Something flared up inside of her and Yuki watched as her eyes darkened. Her skin became pale and her voice distant with a soft deadly fury.

"Will… you… shut… it? I don't need a babysitter…"

Yuki gaped at her and his heart sank. He was looking at Tohru's face, but yet it wasn't her he saw. The inside of his heart wrenched as she cocked her head to the side with hatred. She had enough of these people and their worries about her. Yuki's mouth closed and sadness crept into his eyes.

"Tohru… I…"

"Leave… me… alone…"

He walked into the kitchen and looked down at the floor heartbroken. Yuki could do nothing to help her and when he looked at Kyo and Kagura's faces, they shrugged their shoulders. Evidently, only Yuki had heard the malice in her words. He closed his gaping mouth and stood still as he closed his eyes. Tohru was about to leave the kitchen, when everything snapped back to reality. She had immediately regretted the words she spoke to him and she turned around, desperation on her face.

"Yuki?"

He turned towards her, surprised that her voice was back to its normal lightness. His eyes oozed his hurt, and she gasped as she saw what she had done to him. She reached out and her voice was frail and broken.

"I'm so sorry Yuki… please forgive me… I'm just really tired and…."

His lips turned into a sad smile and he shook his head as he waved his hand.

"It's all right Tohru… I understand…"

But the pain she had caused him was still in his voice, in the very words he spoke. She watched helplessly as he walked away from them and up the stairs. Inside, she felt torn between the deeds she had done. As Tohru walked away and out into the backyard, she reflected upon everything that had happened since she had woken up that morning. It was eating up her soul, and she couldn't tell anyone because it was a secret she had to keep. She was doing it for everyone she loved, so that Akito wouldn't harm them in the last days of his existence. Suddenly, she fell to her knees in the middle of the grassy yard and wrapped her arms around herself. Poor Akito, he was right. No one had ever loved him, and suddenly, Tohru was calm. The decision was made up in her mind. She would help him live the last days of his life happily, as he wanted them to be. Everyone deserved that.

Yuki walked into his room silently and looked out the window. His eyes widened as he saw Tohru fall to the ground. Her shoulders shook and pain swept through her face. He wanted nothing more than to go to her and comfort her, but suddenly she stood up and Yuki saw her eyes. They were lifeless, dull and dark. She wasn't Tohru Honda anymore; instead, she was a body walking on the earth with no happiness in her step, no smile to grace her face. His heart wrenched and he trembled as the gray clouds rose in the distance. Yuki didn't know what to do. Tohru was lost somewhere inside of herself, and no one else seemed to notice or care. He looked back to the yard, and saw that she was walking back towards the house. In a few moments, he heard the door to her room close, and he sighed, closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"I will help you Tohru… if it is the last thing I do… I'll find a way… no matter what."

* * *

**A/N:** So that's it for this chapter… please… don't hate me or what I wrote… I know I've turned Fruits Basket into this dark… _thing, _and it's not that way at all… but I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I am glad at how it turned out. If you would be so kind, I would love it if you could review and tell me what you thought… it really is very helpful to me and I appreciate it very much.

Thanks for reading this far and I hope you will continue to do so! Something even BIGGER happens next chapter! So you'll just have to wait lol :) Thanks again and I hope you have a wonderful day!

-Monika-


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Tohru had a restless night of sleep and she opened her eyes reluctantly. She didn't want to go to him. With each second that she laid in her bed, she felt more overwhelmed by the burden she carried. It wasn't fair that she had to do it, but then again, it was in her nature to help others. Her thoughts clouded her mind and she finally got the nerve to stand up and get ready. She put on a turtleneck so that no one would notice her scratch marks. With a heavy sigh, she walked downstairs. As she crept down the stairs, she realized that she was late. Akito probably wouldn't mind as long as she showed up sooner or later, but she needed to hurry. Tohru also figured that to keep everyone a bit less suspicious, she needed to stay for breakfast that morning. She quickly made some food and set it out on the table in the dinning room. When Kagura came to help, she was shocked that everything was already done.

"Oh, Tohru! I didn't know you'd be here… I thought…"

"No, it's all right. I feel bad about not doing a lot of stuff around here lately. Can you get everyone so that we can eat?"

Kagura nodded and observed the dark circles under Tohru's eyes. Something was wrong, but she didn't know what. After a few moments, Tohru and everyone else came down for breakfast. Yuki was relieved to see her there, and it seemed as if he was the only one to notice how much of a significant event that was. She had been gone for a 'walk' for the past few mornings. It was so out of the ordinary that Yuki couldn't help but worry. She ate in silence while the usual bickering ensued between the two boys.

Kyo was abnormally agitated. For the last couple of days, he had not even once received a beating from Kagura. It was getting him so frustrated that he yelled at everyone when he spoke to them. Shigure was smiling, happy as ever, and even that ticked him off.

"What are you so happy for? Can't you frown like a normal person once in a while! You look like some kind of clown."

Shigure's smile softened and then he looked down. Tohru didn't respond, instead it was Kagura. Yuki almost choked when he heard her voice instead of Tohru's. Things had definitely changed around the house.

"Kyo, stop being so mean! Shigure can be happy and smiley if he wants to!"

Her voice rose and Kyo smiled insanely. She _was_ still normal, the same old Kagura. Suddenly, Tohru rose and bowed her head.

"Kagura, will you wash up since I made breakfast?"

She nodded and watched as Tohru left the room.

"Sure…"

Yuki wanted to immediately follow Tohru, but he knew he wouldn't find out where she always went if he did. She would have left if it weren't for an unexpected visitor. The door slid open right in front of her and Momiji's face appeared. He squealed in delight when he saw Tohru standing there.

"Tohru! I came by to see you and I wanted to know if…"

She smiled weakly and grunted. Momiji's happy glow subsided as he looked over her weary expression.

"Sorry Momiji, not today. I'm getting a little sick and I don't want you to catch anything."

She passed by him without another word and then the door shut close behind him. Momiji stared at everyone, tears swelling up in his eyes. Kagura walked up to him and gave him a warm hug. He buried his head in her chest and cried.

"Why is Tohru so mean? I wanted to play with her!"

Yuki slipped away while everyone's attention was on the rabbit. Kyo stared at Kagura in shock. Why would she be hugging Momiji? She never paid any attention to him before. She stroked his hair softly and smiled.

"It's all right. Tohru won't be gone for long. Do you want to play with me? We can go in the back yard and do something."

His eyes lit up with excitement and he punched his fist in the air.

"Yeah! That would be great! Oh Kagura, we will have so much fun!"

Momiji dragged her by the wrist but she stopped suddenly remembering her duties.

"Sorry Momiji. Not yet. I have to clean up the dishes. Do you want to help?"

He nodded merrily and the table was clean in a matter of minutes. Kyo growled his frustration out and stormed upstairs. Shigure sighed as he knew where he was going; Kyo always went to the roof when he had a problem.

"But what could that problem be? Hmm…"

Shigure put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly a woman appeared in the room and she was huffing with anger and fury.

"The problem? The problem is that we have a deadline and you aren't writing Shigure! Why do you do this to me?"

She cried hysterically and Shigure laughed.

"It's okay. I'll get to it right away!"

The woman sighed with relief and watched as Shigure crept away to his room. Upstairs, Yuki had gone to his room and watched Tohru slumping away from the house and into the forest like before. When he saw a few moments later that Kagura was outside with Momiji, he leapt into Tohru's room and started to search for signs of anything that could lead him to discovering what was happening. The room was spotless however and it seemed as if he would never find out what was wrong. Suddenly, right before he was going to leave the room, a soft white material caught his eye. It was sticking out of one of the drawers. When Yuki took it into his hands, he realized right away that it was one of Tohru's favorite shirts. He had seen it on her so many times, but for some reason the sleeves were ripped off. His eyes widened when he saw the small blood stain.

He dropped the shirt and ran out of the room. When Yuki reached the forest, he only had a little clue as to where she was headed. He ran with all of his strength and he knew that something would happen to her if he let her go off by herself. There was no time to lose and as he got further away from the house, a dark dread spread through him like wildfire.

"I've got to find her."

..:-:..

Kyo couldn't take the silence in the house. It spread as if there was some reason to be mourning. He wanted to shake it off so he walked up to the roof and sprawled himself out on it. The clouds above him slowly drifted through the clear blue and his eyes started to droop. Sleep was about to overcome him when all of a sudden he heard a loud shriek. He leapt up with cat like reflexes and his gaze pointed straight down towards the back yard. There, he saw a truly uncomforting sight.

"Momiji! Stop it! You weigh a lot more than you usually do!"

The boy laughed joyously as Kagura carried him on her back throughout the yard. He observed the growing frustration on her face and Kyo smirked. If he knew Kagura as well as he did, he knew that any moment she would crack.

"Kagura! Go faster! Run over there! Isn't this fun?"

She growled softly to herself and then ran towards the forest and back. There was a tug on her shoulder and she lost her footing. All at once, the two of them stumbled and Momiji fell on top of Kagura. Kyo took a step with his mouth parted a bit, as if he was going to go down there and help. Yet he stopped and stood frozen to the roof underneath him. There was a look in her eyes, a look of pure anger. Momiji laughed but his laughter subsided quickly as he saw Kagura huffing furiously. He got off of her and backed away on the grass. Kagura leapt up and started to step near him.

"You… you treat me as if… as if I was some kind of animal you could just ride all the time! Just because we can be close doesn't mean you can take advantage of that! You are the most…"

It seemed as if she was going to ram into Momiji, when suddenly her rage stood still. She felt someone grab her arm and she turned to see Kyo staring at her with narrow eyes.

"Kyo! Let go of me right now!"

There it was, Kyo was sure of it. Her furious nature was all bottled up and now she had let it out. He smirked as he tightened his grip on her other wrist as well. She gaped at him crossly and tried to wriggle out of the situation.

"KYO! I SAID LET GO OF ME!"

She couldn't control herself, and in an instant she shoved into him, and his hands let go of her. Kagura caught her guard and didn't fall down with Kyo. He pushed himself up on his elbows and then cocked his eyebrow at her. There was a bolt of electricity within Kagura's body and she stood straight as she continued to stare into his eyes. Moment after moment, with Momiji's whimpering in the background, the anger inside of her weakened and when Kyo stood up, her jaw fell open. What had she just done? All of that hard work, and she still turned into a monster. His voice was soft and she shivered when he spoke.

"I knew you were just pretending Kagura. I knew you wouldn't be able to hide your true nature inside of you."

Kyo smirked knowing that he was the victor, however there was something wrong. Her eyes shined brightly and as Momiji approached her, she began to tremble. She never let go his gaze and then he reached out to help her stand.

"Kagura? Are you okay?"

When his hand touched her shoulder, her eyes closed and she fell into a world of black. She didn't know what was happening to her, but it felt like she had transformed into some kind of dark spirit when the rage seared through her veins. Kyo caught her as she fell and he pushed the hair out of her face. Her lips were dry and she moaned slightly.

"Kagura! What's going on? Momiji, get Shigure!"

He nodded and ran inside of the house. Kyo knelt down to the ground and held the girl in his arms gently. It was so surreal, he had never thought that he would be holding her like he was, instead he would be running away from her any chance that he got. But something inside of his heart told him that maybe this time, he had learned not to judge her because of who she was. He never took the time to look beyond that hard exterior to see the kind and loving person she really was. Suddenly she stirred and Kyo looked at her anxiously.

"…Kyo?"

He stroked her head and smiled softly at her frail figure.

"It's all right Kagura… I'm not running away anymore…"

..:-:..

Tohru shivered as she made her way up to the Sohma residence. A tear almost escaped her round eyes but she held it inside of her. She needed to be strong if she wanted to overcome the day. The door swayed after she walked into the yard and she didn't pay any attention to see if it had closed or not. There was no way she could concentrate on little things like that. Tohru walked up to the doors and went inside. She froze suddenly when she saw a big pink bag in front of her. After Tohru slipped off her shoes she took the bag in her hands. A note was attached to it.

_'I thought you might want to change into something more suitable than your own wretched clothes. –Akito'_

Her hands trembled as she pulled out a breathtaking silk robe. It was silver and had the most magnificent embroidery at the edges. She took large breaths as she headed into an empty room to change. When she felt the material slide over her skin, she shivered and stood straight. Slowly, she tied the robe into place and then began to upstairs.

She recognized the hallways immediately and when she saw the door to his room, Tohru stopped. At once, she had a thousand thoughts running through her head. What if things would be worse than they were the other day? How could she get away from him once again, and what if that terrible dark feeling filled her soul?

There was a rustling sound behind the door and she closed her eyes to breathe. Her fingers pushed against the door and it slid open with ease. When she stepped inside, she jumped and gasped as the door slid close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and then worked his way up towards her neck as they moved towards the bed. Her jaw clenched as she felt his lips slide along the skin on her neck. Tohru managed to turn around and face him. His hair fell into his face and his eyes shined with excitement. She whimpered as he leaned in towards her, his lips twisted in his familiar cruel smirk.

"Why do you look so scared? I'm not going to hurt you…"

She stiffened as his cold lips pressed against her own. His hands traveled down her back as one of them gripped her head towards him. The pain she felt in her chest was worse than it had been the day before. Suddenly she felt the dark cold spread in her as she landed on the bed. Her back arched as Akito sprang onto her, delicious victory in his every movement.

"Akito… can't you be gentle?"

As he put his hands to her neck and shoulders, Akito stopped and looked into her eyes. She saw confusion in his sinister eyes. It was her chance and suddenly, Tohru pulled Akito down to her and kissed him tenderly on his lips. He spread his hands along her soft skin and her robe slipped off of her right shoulder. He gasped for breath and then pulled away with a quizzical look on his face. His weight seemed lighter than before and when she opened her eyes, Tohru saw Akito looking at her with blurry eyes. She put her hand to his cheek and then brushed away his hair. Akito grabbed her hand and her eyes widened for a moment. The smirk was gone, and instead he was smiling in adoration. He let go of her hand and mimicked her action. When his frail fingers brushed her hair aside, she felt a chill go through her body. His face was only inches away from hers and the gaze between the two strengthened. Then Tohru became afraid because there was something wrong with Akito. His eyes grew wide and there were no pupils.

"Tohru…what did you do to me?"

She gulped and her mouth opened slightly. His lips hovered over hers and she closed her eyes as the familiar feeling of loathing and desire welled up inside of her. As he spoke, the black mist spread from his mouth to hers and then the strength seemed to disappear from him.

"I'm sorry Akito…"

"I love you Tohru, don't you see?"

Her eyes widened and for the first time, Akito was a normal person. He had fallen into the trap of real human emotions. She was shocked still and then found herself pulling him into another kiss. Tohru ran her hands through his hair and pulled him tightly to her. When she finally pulled away, Akito whimpered, his lips trembling from her cold warmth. Her eyes grew round and black, her lips twitched and she held onto Akito with hunger in her touch.

"I need you Tohru… don't ever leave me…"

"I will never leave you Akito…"

..:-:..

Yuki had asked numerous people along the streets and none of them had seen the girl he was seeking. His hopes for finding her were disappearing rapidly, and suddenly he found himself in front of the Sohma estate. He looked at it curiously. The door was ajar and when he sniffed the air, it smelled distinctly familiar. Yuki wasn't exactly sure what it was about the scent, but it drew him inside. As he made his way up the steps and inside, he stopped and froze at the sight in front of him. Tohru's shoes were inside of the Sohma estate. Every muscle in his body tightened as the realization hit him at top speed. Tohru had been visiting Akito all along.

He ran up the stairs and to the room where Akito lived in. Yuki didn't even bother to knock, he opened the door with so much force that the door shook and rattled. His eyes widened as the unreality of the situation became existent. Akito lay on top of Tohru and their lips were locked together. His eyes widened and he stood frozen to his place. For a moment, everything inside of him stopped; his heart didn't pump any blood to his head and he thought he was going to faint. Tohru pulled away from the lip lock and turned her head in Yuki's direction furiously. When he saw the black round circles and the pure whites of her eyes, he regained all of his strength and he ran to her. Akito pushed himself off of Tohru with what little force he had left. Tohru was a completely different person than before. Her bare shoulder was pale along with the rest of her skin. Yuki shook her by a grip on her arms and she looked at him with utter hatred in her expression.

"Tohru! What is going on? What happened to you? What did Akito do?"

Suddenly, Tohru shoved Yuki away, and not before she slapped him hard in the face. His cheek reddened and he put a hand to the left side of his face delicately. Yuki stared at her wide eyed as she shot him a cruel smirk. His mouth hung open as she walked up to Akito and kissed him affectionately. When they pulled away, Akito seemed to be hanging onto her as if she was his life support; their lips hovered above each other's before they let go. The sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach overwhelmed him, and Yuki was at a loss for words. Then all of a sudden, Akito spoke weakly.

"I didn't do anything to her. She came here of her own will, didn't you Tohru?"

She nodded and the smirk was gone. There was a change in her eyes, but they were still dark and overbearing. They were filled with the loathing despise that he had once seen in Akito's eyes. It hit Yuki harder than she had slapped him. He looked at Akito and saw that his eyes seemed to be softer, not as menacing as before.

"Of course I came here of my own will Akito. You didn't make me come here. I wanted to help you."

She started to wrap her arms around him and Yuki gritted his teeth, his hands clenched in frustration. This was not the Tohru he knew and loved. Yes, he loved her and he wasn't going to stop just because she shoved him away. His eyes narrowed and he struggled to step closer towards them. Tohru's robe was beginning to loosen and her other shoulder was becoming bare. It was the most horrendous thing he had seen in his life. Tohru Honda, the most respectable, honest and kindhearted women he knew had turned into a lust filled tramp. With all of his strength, he pulled Tohru away from Akito and backed her into a corner. Akito's arms fell to his side limply and he stared out towards Tohru as if he was a little child and needed help.

Yuki blocked out Tohru's gaze of Akito so that she saw him and only him. He looked into her eyes desperately as her lips tightened in fury.

"Get away from me Yuki. Go. I don't need your help."

He grabbed her by her shoulders and she winced momentarily.

"Tohru listen to me, you have become something dark. You are not yourself! Akito's done this to you, don't you understand? What happened to the Tohru that smiled cheerfully and helped me with the secret base?"

His voice was pleading and his grip loosened as she laughed cruelly.

"That Tohru is gone Yuki. There is no way she is coming back."

She laughed again, the painful screech nothing like the delicate laughter Yuki adored. His lips parted and his body became numb. She had really changed, and the old Tohru was gone to him forever. Tears formed in his eyes and fell down his cheeks. He was mourning the death of the woman he loved, and when Tohru's laughter subsided, she looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Yuki's hands fell to his sides and he clutched himself as if he was wounded. When he looked up at her, she saw that his eyes were full of loss and agony. Something happened then, and her black pools returned to their previous state. Her whisper chilled his spine and he stopped crying.

"Yuki? Why are you crying? What's going on?"

She gasped when she saw Akito standing limply near the bed. Then she looked down at her own body and saw the loose robe. A deep blush spread across her cheeks as she wrapped it around herself tighter. Hope filled Yuki's heart and he smiled as he stroked her hair. He leaned in a bit closer and she melted at his safe comforting touch.

"It's going to be all right Tohru. You're safe now."

Yuki turned around and stared at Akito with revulsion overwhelming his soul. Akito stared at the cowering form of Tohru and then he snapped. She had changed back, for the moment, but it was enough to transform Akito into his old vicious state of mind. However, he was much stronger.

"You… you took her away from me… Tohru was mine… all mine! I will kill you for this betrayal Yuki… I should have known all along you would do this to me!"

He lunged for Yuki and Tohru's gasp filled the room as the grunts of the two battling Sohma's mixed into the silence. Yuki was much more skilled than Akito was and he didn't care anymore if he was the head of the Sohma family. Akito had altered who Tohru was and he would never forgive that despicable action. Yuki pushed Akito to the ground and then kicked him in the side. Akito's eyes bulged as the pain shot up through his aching ribs. He breathed heavily and Yuki wiped away the tear of blood that had dripped out of his mouth. His silver gray hair was dark with sweat and Akito's hair plastered to his head like a mop. Yuki thought he had outdone Akito and he turned to face Tohru again, but suddenly, she froze still.

"What's wrong? We can go now."

Horror filled her face and Yuki watched the transformation happen. Her eyes grew into pure black holes, her skin turned a ghastly pale color and her lips parted as if she was dehydrated. It was then he knew that the battle was not over yet. Tohru smiled wickedly and Yuki didn't know what to do. Suddenly a horrible feeling filled his body, and right then was when he felt Akito's arms grab him. Yuki winced and gasped for air as the blade of a knife came up to his throat. He heard Akito's snickering laughter behind his head and Yuki froze.

"No one goes against me Yuki, you should know that."

Yuki closed his eyes and then felt a gigantic blow to his head. His eyes fluttered as he collapsed to the floor. It took every ounce of strength in his body to keep himself from slipping into unconsciousness. Yuki moaned as he opened his eyes and saw that Akito had walked up to Tohru again. He taunted her, his mouth hovering above hers. She seemed to become immobile and completely lost to him. Yuki's mouth hung open when he saw the black mist flow into Tohru's mouth.

"One last kiss…"

Akito's voice vanished in the room's silence and then he heard Tohru whimper as Akito's lips surged onto hers. Something flicked off inside of Yuki's heart and he jumped up, even though his head was pounding. He grabbed a hold of Akito and then punched him in the jaw. Yuki flung him around and then he went flying, hitting the wall near the window with a loud thud. He made sure the Sohma wasn't going to get up again and then he turned to Tohru. She was looking at him as if he was her prey and she intended to kill him.

"Tohru, I'm going to help you through this, I don't know how but I will…"

She walked up to him and then put her hand over his mouth. Her fingers were icy cold and her eyes were darker than before. The breath was taken out of his lungs and for a moment he felt like he was suffocating.

"You've done enough. I'm going to get rid of you so that you can't bother us anymore. What better way than to turn you into a … stupid… helpless… rat?"

His eyes widened and he knew what she was going to do. She lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Yuki closed his eyes and for some reason he held onto her tightly. His thoughts raced and time seemed to stand still.

"Tohru… I love you… I want you to come back to me… please come back…"

He heard her gasp and her eyes bulged. A bright light started to glow around them and images spilled through their heads simultaneously. Memories of the first time they met, the first time he took her to his secret garden, the many times they walked to school together, the time when they went to the Sohma hot springs, his hand in her hair, his eyes shining down at her with a wonderful smile, all of that flashed through their minds and through their hearts. Suddenly, Yuki felt himself diminishing slowly. His efforts would be for nothing, but with each millisecond that passed, he held onto her even more. If the first time he hugged her to him would be the last time, he would make sure he would never forget how warm she felt in his arms.

Tohru's black heart started to break as the memories filled her mind. Her eyes started to shrink back to normal size and then she realized that she was hugging Yuki. She was hugging Yuki and he would turn into a rat and Akito would devour her. Tears sprang into her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

"Yuki… help me… I love you so much… please don't leave me…"

The light grew brighter and it burst into a flash through the room. Whiteness engulfed the two of them, but they still held onto each other, no space in between them. In a few moments, the light disappeared and Yuki opened his eyes. He saw Tohru in his arms, he saw his arms and he felt himself standing tall on the ground. Tohru pulled away from him, her eyes back to normal and her jaw quivering. Yuki took a step back and then looked at her completely flabbergasted.

"You… you didn't…"

The knowledge overwhelmed her and she fainted. Yuki caught her in his arms and stared at her with a heartbroken smile. Somehow, he hadn't transformed into a rat when they hugged each other. Did that mean the curse was…

It was too much for him to bear. His eyes fluttered and his head fell on top of Tohru's.

..:-:..

Tohru's eyes opened and she yawned. She wrapped herself in his arms and smiled warmly. The shock came back into her arms and she sat up alert. Yuki's head fell into her lap and she woke him up.

"Yuki! Yuki, get up!"

He sat up and he turned towards her as if he was living in a dream. She leaned into him and put her arms around his neck. It was then that he realized that he could hug her whenever he wanted to. Yuki pulled her closer towards him and smiled with his eyes closed. He breathed in the warm scent of her body so close near to his own. It was the second time he had hugged her; the first time hadn't been the last after all.

"Tohru… I'm so glad you are safe…"

Her sobs echoed in his ears but he didn't mind.

"If it wasn't for you… I … I don't… know what would have…"

He rubbed her back soothingly and she felt the comfort of his touch. Suddenly she looked around crazily and her mouth fell open.

"Yuki… Akito … he's… gone!"

They stood up and he too realized that he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he had gotten away, but that didn't make any sense. Why would he leave without Tohru as his dark queen?

"I don't know what happened," he turned to her with a soft smile, "but I do know that we somehow broke the curse…"

A faint blush swept her cheeks as he pulled her closer to him. He stared at her intently and stroked her cheek lovingly. Her lips parted and she gazed at him with awe. She had never really looked at him from so close up. His skin was light yet soft to the touch. The warmth spread through her fingers as she brushed his cheek as well. Suddenly, she remembered what he had said when they had embraced each other. Tohru then recalled what she had told him.

"May I kiss you?"

The shock sent her away from her daydreaming and she nodded abruptly. She shut her eyes and waited to feel his lips on hers, but instead, she felt his lips briefly touch her cheek. For a few seconds she felt them stay there, and when he pulled away, incredible warmth and love spread through her tortured heart. Tohru stared at his lavender eyes and melted into his embrace. Yuki rested his head against hers and caressed her.

"I've waited all my life to do that…"

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. The feeling was a bit too much to bear. Yuki suddenly felt her become limp in his arms and he carried her in his arms. They made it down to the front of the house and Yuki found the bag with her clothes in it. He woke her up gently and she smiled when she saw his face in her vision.

"We have to go… I have your clothes. You should go change."

She sat up and Yuki helped her stand. In a few minutes, she came out of one of the rooms and she smiled cheerfully as she reached for his hand. They walked out of the Sohma residence hand in hand, and started their journey back to their home.

..:-:..

Shigure had helped carry Kagura into her room. Kyo made it adamantly clear that he would stay and help her come to again. He sat in a chair near her bed and watched her breathe in and out. Her hair fell down to the pillow gracefully and he felt entranced. He didn't know why he had never noticed so much about her before. Over the past few days he had observed her, how she walked, how she talked, and how her smile seemed to brighten every corner of a room. He yawned but suddenly became alert as her eyes fluttered open. She stirred and then winced, a hand coming straight up to her head.

"What happened?"

He smiled sadly as he pushed her back down on the bed.

"You need to rest."

"No… I have to go make dinner…"

"No, you need to rest!"

"Kyo, I have to go!"

They struggled with each other and finally Kyo had to sit on her bed so that he could make sure that she wouldn't get up again. She looked at him with many mixed emotions. She didn't know why he was staying with her, she didn't know why he even cared.

"There. Now you are going to stay in bed and rest. You fainted after you yelled… do you know why?"

He shot her a perfect grin and she became flustered.

"Uh… I don't…"

"Well it's because you hadn't yelled at me for over a week…"

He continued to smile, but she looked away shamefully.

"I'm sorry…"

Suddenly he realized that there was something more important that just her trying to be like Tohru.

"Why are you sorry? There's no reason…"

She turned to him and sighed.

"Yes there is. The only reason why I didn't yell at you, why I pretended to be like Tohru was so that you wouldn't think of me as… a wild boar."

The last part was a mere whisper and she looked away, tears straining her eyes. Kyo finally understood what had happened. He knew that she always tried to gain his attention, but he didn't take into account that she was a real person with feelings. Suddenly, his heart melted as he heard her soft sob. He didn't know why, but he pulled her an embrace and stroked her arm gently.

"I don't think you are a wild boar Kagura. You're…you are … oh hell! I'm horrible with words…"

She pulled away and watched him scoff at himself. A smile tugged at her lips and she laughed softly through the tears. He turned to her and smiled as his fingers reached for her cheek. His touch electrified her senses and she felt herself become dizzy. She fell into his arms again and her eyes flickered open slowly. Kyo had never been this close to her and his heart started to race. Her beautiful round eyes looked up at him and she smiled.

"Kyo… I really do love you. You're the only person I have really loved."

Her voice was quiet and afraid of his reaction. He was so used to hearing her scream her feelings at him, and he would feel more like a dog she was barking at. But this time, she had said it with so much truth and softness that he felt succumbed to the words. Kagura meant it, with every fiber in her bones. Suddenly, he felt himself leaning down towards her, and his hands lifting her head up. She closed her eyes as his lips pressed against her own. For a brief moment, they shared each other's warmth, and when he let her head slip away a bit, she opened her eyes and he looked at her with adoration. It was his first kiss. In all those years that she had followed him around demanding love from him, he had been the one to give it to her. She used all of her strength to wrap her arms around him and to bury her head in his chest. Kyo was filled with indescribable feeling and the words came out of his mouth without hesitation.

"I love you too Kagura."

Suddenly a white mist filled around them and in the next moment, he saw a boar in his lap. He rolled his eyes but inside he knew that she must have lived every moment of her life hoping that he would say those words to her. Now that he had, she was lost in so much emotion that she had transformed. He laughed slightly and picked her up.

"I think you need to rest Kagura."

"No Kyo! I want to be with you! We are meant to be together forever! Oh Kyo, don't leave me!"

He looked at her with a warning glance and then her eyelids half closed.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be better from now on. No more chitter chatter from me!"

He laid her down in the bed and pulled the sheet covers so that only her head was visible. In a matter of moments, a white mist filled the room again and he saw her hair sprawled on the pillow. He laughed a bit and looked around for her clothes. It was a good thing he had covered her up, or there would be a very awkward situation. Kyo tossed the clothes on her bed and went to go stand outside the door.

"All right Kyo! I'm all dressed now! You can come back in!"

He opened the door and saw her standing in her green long sleeved shirt. She ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and felt how perfect she was in his arms. The moment was ruined when they heard Shigure's voice echo from down below.

"Where's my dinner? I want to eat! Oh this is horrible!"

He smiled and together they walked downstairs.

..:-:..

Yuki and Tohru were stumbling through the forest, their bodies weak from the day's events. He kept an arm around her to help her walk and she welcomed his warmth and presence immensely. As the house neared in their vision, Tohru shivered, an awful dread creeping into her thoughts. She pushed the thought aside and continued on with Yuki. With him by her side, no one would harm her again.

* * *

**A/N:** I'd like to say that this is THE longest chapter I've ever written for a fanfic. 6000 and more words… I worked really hard on it… and I'd love it and really appreciate it you could leave me a review… I've written really long chapters for this yet I get the least amount of reviews. To the four of you who are always there supporting me (you know who you are) I thank you SO much. If it wasn't for you, there would be no fic to be written, because sometimes I get the impression that no one really likes it… so then I think, well why bother? But then I write these insanely long chapters anyways… okay then, well I hope you liked this chapter! Lots happened huh? Lol my hands are getting cramped :( lol have an awesome day!

-Monika-


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kagura sat down next to Kyo at dinner and Shigure kept giggling to himself because of it. Kyo stared at him angrily, and then Shigure would stop and smile to himself. Deep down inside, Kagura knew it had been a hard thing for Kyo to admit what he felt inside of his heart. The fact that he had done it on his own, without any sort of persuasion from her was the miracle that she had always hoped for. He truly cared about her. They all looked up when they heard the footsteps inside the house. Yuki and Tohru had been gone for a very long while and everyone had wondered what had happened to them. Kagura stood up and slid the door open.

Yuki stroked Tohru's hair and she looked into his eyes with worry. He leaned in closer and whispered into her ear.

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Go upstairs and rest. I'll bring you some food."

Tohru smiled and hugged him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. His body's warmth wrapped around her delicately and she closed her eyes, letting the kindness into her soul. Somewhere in the depths of it however, was a lingering murky cold that she couldn't seem to push away.

"Thank you so much Yuki, for everything that you've done for me. I'd be lost without you."

Their eyes locked into one another's but they pulled away awkwardly, the door next to them budging, light shining onto their faces. Kagura's mouth fell open and then she smiled.

"So it _is _you two! I was wondering who it was! Where have you been? Dinner is getting cold."

Tohru sighed and then Yuki shook his head.

"We went for a walk, but it looks like Tohru's uh… sickness is worse than we feared. She's going to get rest upstairs. I'll bring her food up there."

He motioned for Tohru to get going and she nodded, excusing herself. Kagura shook her head sadly as she watched her friend leave.

"It's such a pity. I've never seen her so… weary and exhausted. For some reason, it's like she's changed too… I don't see the pair of glimmering happy eyes I saw before."

Yuki nodded silently, his thoughts filtering what had happened to Tohru with Akito. There was no way that anyone else could find out; if they did, who knew what would happen? He followed her into the dinning room and Shigure put his arms up in the air enthusiastically.

"Yuki! Where's Tohru? Isn't she with you?"

He sat down and sighed.

"She's upstairs resting for now."

Kyo mumbled something to himself and Yuki glanced at the slouched orange headed cousin with a cocked eyebrow.

"What was that Kyo?"

"Huh? Nothing, just wondering what the two of you could possibly have been doing all day long. Must have been something exciting though. Maybe like a _secret._ I bet you and Tohru are keeping something from all of us!"

Kagura put her hand on Kyo's arm to calm him down, but he shoved her away, his anger getting the best of him. He leaned forward towards Yuki and smirked.

"It is a secret, isn't it? Spit it out rat-boy!"

Yuki gritted his teeth and then stood up.

"No. There is no secret that we are keeping from you, but I for one am shocked. You usually don't jump to conclusions… this quickly."

He stood up and looked down at the cat, who was being restrained by Kagura and Shigure.

"Shut up rat-boy! I know you're hiding something!"

"Will _you_ shut it? I've had enough of this, really. I'll eat my dinner upstairs. Thank you Kagura."

He nodded his head and took two plates of food with him. The door shut close and Kyo sulked.

"What does he know? He's always been sneaky and tricky."

Kagura leaned forward and put on her softest smile.

"It's okay Kyo. You don't have to worry by yourself. I think you're right."

Suddenly they turned around to find Shigure laughing hysterically.

"You're agreeing with him Kagura? That's the funniest thing that has happened today! I can't believe it really!"

Kyo's temper boiled and he grabbed Kagura by the arm forcefully. The door shut close with a thunderous boom, and then Shigure sighed. He was looking at an empty table once more.

"What is going on with them lately? Hmm…" he contemplated rubbing his chin, "maybe there _is_ something that I don't know about."

..:-:..

Yuki knocked softly on the door and then opened it. Tohru was sprawled out in her bed, the covers up to her ears. Her eyes opened slightly when he came in and she stirred with a whimper.

"Yuki?"

He set the food down and smiled.

"Yes, it's me."

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and then laid her head back against the wall. Yuki sat down on the bed next to her and put his arm around her. Tohru's head rolled onto his shoulder and she closed her eyes, tears finally expelling out of them. Yuki wiped them away, his fingers briskly brushing her skin. She sighed and then wrapped her arms around his waist. Each of them had never felt that close to one another, and they didn't say anything for a while, taking in all of the details of the moment, every feeling and sound that played in the trees outside.

Tohru yawned and Yuki rested his head on top of hers.

"Don't you think this is a bit strange Yuki?"

He pulled away a bit and looked into her dull eyes, no longer full of life and spunk as Kagura had mentioned.

"What is?"

"That you don't transform anymore when you hug me. I think that goes for every girl now."

He blinked and then looked away. For his entire life, he had been under the Sohma curse, allowing him to become an outcast. He had to push away girls who were always very nice and kind towards him, but this time he didn't have to push Tohru away. A soft smile appeared on his face and he sighed.

"That's right, I don't transform. I don't know how it happened, but once we hugged each other, it seemed like everything was different, wouldn't you agree?"

She nodded her head and he leaned back to her. Tohru crawled into his safe and warm embrace and closed her eyes.

"Besides, I'm awfully glad that it turned out this way. I've been keeping my feelings inside for such a long time."

Tohru stroked his arm gently and thought about how it must have felt for Yuki to go through his life without anyone comforting him. She squeezed him a bit tighter and swallowed away the tears. What had happened with Akito wouldn't have to happen again, ever.

..:-:..

Kyo had dragged Kagura all the way into the back yard. The moon shined brightly in the dark sky and fireflies flew low to the ground, illuminating the blades of grass that they rested on. Once he let go of her, she stopped and gawked at him. He took a few steps towards the forest and then growled in frustration.

"Why are those idiots always against me? I hate it! I hate them!"

Kagura's mouth closed and she took a step towards him. Her lips tightened and she clenched her fists. As Kyo turned around, she brought her shoulders up to her ears and her arms became rigid. His eyes widened and his mouth gasped.

"Kyo, just shut it yourself! You're always angry with your family! Can't you act normal for once?"

It was the second time she had raised her voice that day, but this time she calmed herself down, and her breathing came back to normal. Her eyes softened and she looked away. Kyo's mouth closed and he looked away as well. His voice was just a whisper on the wind, but she heard him nonetheless.

"I'm sorry Kagura. I've got a bad temper sometimes…"

They looked at each other and smiled. It was such a different way to live, now that they were in tune with one another. Granted, they each had their weak moments; it was good to have someone to share those troublesome times with. Kyo took Kagura's hand in his, and she giggled sheepishly. His eyes struck into hers and he leaned in closer.

"Don't laugh at me, or I'll let you go!"

She stopped and the buzz of crickets filled the hum of the still air. His face was inches away from hers and her eyes shimmered teasingly.

"I don't think you'd do that Kyo…"

"Oh really?" he asked

"Because…I won't let you…"

She leaned in and her lips met his in a warm spread of wetness. Kyo closed his eyes and all of the anger disappeared instantly. Her presence was like nothing he had ever known before. He quickly deepened the kiss and brought her into his embrace. Within a few moments, a white cloud appeared and she wasn't in his arms anymore. She was on the ground and a sparkle lit her eyes.

"That's weird. Are you feeling okay?"

She shook her head and walked over to his leg and put her head on it.

"No… I guess I'm still tired from what happened and it's shocking you know… that you would kiss me…. I never…"

He smiled and picked her up gently. He caressed her head and they walked up to her room. He put her down in her bed and sighed. Kagura sneezed and Kyo laughed slightly.

..:-:..

_She awoke in a deep mist and it swirled around her. Its icy particles prickled her skin as if they were going to crawl underneath it. Her senses became numb and she took a deep breath of air. Suddenly as an illuminated darkness drifted towards her, it formalized itself and she gasped when she saw Akito's sneering face only inches away from hers. _

_"Hello Tohru. Miss me?"_

_She stood frozen and then she inhaled his icy breath. His dark eyes gloated and then they were all that she could see._

"_What do you want?"_

"_Don't you know? You are me now. I am you. Thus you are the head of the Sohmas and you must tell them to…"_

She woke up breathing heavily with Yuki shaking her shoulders. Her eyes widened and darted around the room frantically.

"Tohru, what's wrong?"

"Is he here? Is Akito here? I had the most awful dream. Akito wanted to make me do something, but he didn't tell me because I woke up. Yuki, I'm scared, I'm so scared."

He took her into his warm embrace and the tears fell freely. She curled up to him and buried her head in his chest. The two trays of food were still on the bed side table, cold and limp. The sun began to stream into the room, and with Yuki's constant comforting, she started to feel a bit safer.

"It was only a dream Tohru."

He whispered to her and she replied weakly.

"Then he said that I was the head of the Sohmas now."

"It was a dream Tohru. Wait a minute, I have an idea."

Yuki left the room with a warm smile and she reached out towards him like a small child. The door shut close and Tohru sighed. She looked to the window and saw the sun in the far away distance. A small shadow drifted through it and she shook wearily.

As Yuki was passing the rooms in the hallway, he noticed that one of them was ajar. He stopped and leaned his head inside. A small smile reached his lips as he saw Kyo's head lying on Kagura's bed. They both slept and deep down, he knew that Kyo had finally passed his ultimate test; he had found a way to get rid of the tough shell that covered him, and he also knew that it was because Kagura that it happened. He closed the door softly and headed downstairs.

Yuki waited impatiently as the water boiled and then the kettle blew piercingly. He took it and poured the searing hot water into two cups. As the tea brewed, he heard a shuffling noise and the door opened. Shigure smiled happily and stretched his arms out.

"Another lovely night of rest and another beautiful morning to greet us! I'd say we are definitely lucky, wouldn't you?"

Yuki rolled his eyes and took the two cups of tea upstairs.

"Sure Shigure, in your world, everything is just perfect and swell, isn't it?"

With that, the door shut close and Shigure was left alone once again.

"I've got to get out more. These people are really odd."

..:-:..

Tohru shivered when the breeze swept by. She constantly felt cold now. It was only when Yuki was by her that she felt like herself again. He completed her and could somehow always keep her on track. The door opened and he walked in with a smile. Immediately, her spirits lifted as she saw the steam float away from the two cups. He handed her one and she inhaled it with her eyes closed, taking in the wonderful scent of picked green leaves. She took a sip and sighed as the warmth spread through her entire body.

"Yuki, thank you so much! It was just the thing I needed!"

She opened her eyes, and for the first time in a long while, he saw a spark of enthusiasm in them. He nodded happily and sat down.

"I thought it might cheer you up. I'm glad it did."

He leaned in and the birds chirped cheerfully in the trees. His hand swept through her hair and he saw her sigh at his touch. Tohru was in a state of utter bliss. She couldn't have asked for any other man to be this kind towards her. He kissed her forehead softly and rubbed her arm.

"I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast all right?"

"Oh! I need to make breakfast! I've done it again!"

He pushed her back down so that she sat one the bed dumbfounded.

"No Tohru. Take it easy. I'll find Kagura and make breakfast for you."

Yuki gave her a soft smile and her eyes watered as she smiled back. His figure disappeared and she took another sip of the soothing tea. Why was it that she always had such loving people around her? She was so grateful to have Yuki by her side all the time. She sighed and stood up. Tohru quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

..:-:..

Kagura stirred and when she opened her eyes she saw Kyo's ruffled hair of head on her bed, just like before. She smiled to herself, the warmth of the sun streaming onto her bed. She yawned and slipped out of bed. After she dressed herself and combed her hair, she walked over to Kyo and shook his shoulders gently. Kagura kissed his face and smiled as he fluttered his eyes open.

"Huh? What's…oh, Kagura, you're awake…"

He sat up and yawned.

"Of course I'm awake sleepy head. Come on. Let's go get some food."

They reached the kitchen and their jaw dropped. Yuki was fumbling over the oven. Pots were cluttered around everywhere. He turned around and laughed awkwardly.

"I started without you Kagura. I guess I have made a mess of things, haven't I? Well it looks like the two of you are up now."

He looked at Kyo with a smirk and Kyo hunched his shoulders, a deep red shade covering his cheeks.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kagura put her hand on his shoulder and he sighed. Kyo muttered something underneath his breath and walked into the dining room.

"I'll take care of things… is Tohru coming down soon?"

"I told her that she should rest a bit. She'll be down later."

Kagura stared at him incredulously.

"Is she really that sick? She seemed completely fine before. What happened?"

Yuki stiffened as he was about to head out the door. His head turned slowly towards Kagura, but he didn't look at her. His voice was only a whisper, concealing the horrifying truth behind his lie.

"It must have been those early morning walks I guess…I always told her not to go…"

Kagura nodded grimly and sighed.

"I told her too… oh well… all she needs is some rest now though and she should be all better!"

Yuki headed out and joined Kyo and Shigure at the table. Kagura came in with the food some time later, and Tohru still wasn't there. Yuki was growing worried, but he sat patiently. Shigure's stomach growled and he whined.

"Where is Tohru? I want to eat already!"

Kyo furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fists containing his deep anger.

"Then eat why don't ya? It's not like you don't know how to!"

Shigure pondered this for a moment and then nodded eagerly.

"You are absolutely right Kyo! Thank you for your generous words of wisdom!"

He dove down into his morning soup and Kagura stifled a giggle. Yuki looked up at the door constantly, and just as he was going to stand up and check up on her, Tohru came walking through the door, her skin slightly pale, and a meek smile on her face.

"Good morning everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting."

She shuffled her feet to the table, her arms hanging limply at her sides. Her grace was slowed and heavy. As Yuki watched her, he was suddenly reminded of how Akito would always hunch over and slowly walk around everywhere. He shrugged the feeling aside and helped her sit down next to him. Everyone stared at her as if she was a complete stranger, yet someone they should be afraid of. She was estranged and not the same person as before, and everyone could feel that in the air around them. Tohru took a bit of her food and chewed sadly. It didn't taste as wonderful as before. The colors around her, in the clothes her friends wore, were becoming dull and dim. She blinked and leaned forwards a bit, almost hitting her head on the table. Yuki caught her just in time and she sighed. Kyo cocked his eyebrow and bit his lip.

"Tohru, are you feeling okay?" he asked with hesitation.

She shot her head towards him as if she was directing all of her attention on him. He pulled back a bit, startled by her rash movement, however she smiled and shook her head, her eyes staring into his.

"No Kyo. I'm completely fine."

Kagura's mouth dropped open and she stole a quick glance from Yuki.

"But I thought Yuki said that you were very ill…"

Tohru looked at him with a deep stare, but then it softened when his soft lavender eyes bore into hers. She sighed and looked down at her lap.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I didn't want to worry any of you. Please forgive me. I think that's all I'll have now… I'm going to… go upstairs."

She struggled to stand up and they watched silently as Tohru Honda, the girl with the optimistic smile, trudged away from them as if there was an invisible barrier between them all. Yuki yearned to go to her, but he couldn't, not right then. His friends would get suspicious and would start to wonder why he was spending so much time with Tohru. She closed the door behind her and put a foot on one step. Suddenly she stopped and shook her head. A wave of dizziness swept over her and she took a deep breath of air as she gripped the banister rail. Tohru needed fresh air, so she turned around and walked out the door. The sunlight shocked her and it took a while before her eyes adjusted. With every step that she took, with every fresh crisp breath of air she inhaled, it felt like life was seeping back inside of her.

Yuki quickly finished his plate of food and then stood up and left. He knew that something was wrong with Tohru, and he needed to go find her quickly. When he got to her room, his jaw dropped when he saw that she wasn't there. He ran to the window and saw a figure walking in the forest. A tight feeling grew in his stomach and he ran down the stairs and out of the house.

Tohru walked through the forest and sighed as she looked around. For some reason, everything around her seemed to be not as bright and colorful anymore. Nature had lost its beauty in her eyes and she looked down at the trial sadly. Suddenly, she heard a pounding of footsteps ahead of her. A tall man with white hair wearing a black suit quickly ran towards her. She squinted and then her eyes widened. It was Haru Sohma and she was almost sure that he wasn't quite normal. Perhaps he was Black Haru for the moment. He kept running towards her, and it seemed as if he had no intention to stop. However, he did stop right in front of her and he panted, his hands on his knees.

"What the hell are you doing Tohru? Get out of my way or I'll have to pummel you down to the ground!"

He laughed insanely, but then he brought his eyes to hers. Yuki was relieved when he saw Tohru's back, but then his eyes widened when he saw Haru next to her. The gaze on his face was menacing, but suddenly, it grew softer. Haru looked into her eyes and Tohru's mouth twisted into a small smirk.

"Are you really going to do that Hatsuharu? Would you really pummel me to the ground?"

Her voice was harsh and cold, yet soft. Haru's eyes widened and he took a step back. His pupils grew smaller and he bowed to her.

"I'm so sorry Tohru. I don't know what came over me."

He looked at her hesitantly and then saw Yuki in the distance.

"Uh… I think I am going to go now…"

Haru watched as a small smile crept onto Tohru's face. He didn't know what made him run towards her like a bull, but then when he looked at her, it was as if some kind of unknown power hidden inside her leashed out at him and calmed his senses. It was all a bit eerie and he turned and left. Yuki walked up to Tohru and when she felt his hand on her shoulder, she jumped and turned towards him with a gasp. The coldness in her body disappeared and her cruel smile vanished.

"Yuki! Don't scare me like that!"

He observed her face and her eyes, and she seemed to be all right. Yuki pulled her into a tight hug and she let her arms wrap around his back.

"What did Hatsuharu want?"

She shivered at the sound of his full name, something she would have never said, but strangely did.

"I don't know… he just came and went."

Yuki looked away distantly and then focused his gaze back on Tohru.

"Why did you come out here anyways? Don't you know you should be resting?"

She nodded and sighed.

"Yes, but I wanted some fresh air."

"Okay, so promise me that next time you want to go for a walk, you'll take me along."

Tohru nodded happily and hugged him again.

"All right Yuki. I promise."

His warmth delved into her heart and she closed her eyes dreamily. She heard his heart beating in her ear as she leaned her head on his chest. A fuzzy dreamlike feeling swept through her and she sighed happily. Suddenly, it was all gone and her eyes jerked open; she couldn't hear the heartbeat anymore. Tohru pulled away and her eyes widened, her heart sped up and her jaw dropped. Akito laughed cruelly and he smirked as he eyed her.

"What's going on? Where's Yuki?"

He pointed to his left and Tohru turned her head abruptly. Yuki was standing there holding herself. She took a step back as she saw the frozen couple embraced in each other's arms.

"But that's me! How is this possible?"

Akito stepped closer and put his hand around her neck, pulling her into him.

"I can call your mind to me whenever I please."

She looked at him with horror. Tohru turned her head to look at Yuki once more and she screamed silently inside of her head. She wasn't dreaming at all.

"What is he to you? He can never be as good as I."

His strong grip pulled her into a sudden kiss and the wind was knocked out of her. She tried to push him away but a wave of weakness hit her knees. Everything inside of her felt like it was being torn out, but suddenly she thought of Yuki and she found her strength again. She pushed his shoulders away and he stumbled backwards with the same cruel grin on his face. His dark hair hung around his jaw limply and he shook his head slightly.

"You're just like me Tohru. It's because before I left, I hid inside of you."

Tohru shook her head crazily and put her hands to her ears.

"No! You're lying! It's just a dream!"

She felt his cold hands on hers and she jumped. He was right in front of her, but this time he just stood there.

"It's time I told you what to do."

Tohru suddenly felt a dread fill her head and she remembered that he had tried to say it to her before.

"Fine. Tell me and go away! I don't want anything to do with you anymore!"

"All right, if that's what you want," he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "but I won't go away. All of my life, I've never been happy, and to see a smile on a Sohma's face was sickening. It was my goal to make everyone around me full of sorrow. When you came, I let it be, because I knew the day would come when you would help me, you would set me free and make me happy."

She took a step back and looked at him incredulously.

"Don't act so shocked Tohru. You always knew, somewhere deep down inside of you. Anyways, I've been meaning to get rid of a happy little girl, the one _you_ turned away from her depression and silence. Can you figure it out yourself Tohru?"

He smiled cruelly and she shook her head slowly, her hands trembling at her mouth.

"No… not Kisa… I can't!"

"Oh yes you will Tohru. You will go to her and tear her apart from Hiro. None of the Sohmas deserve to be happy as long as they live."

"Akito, there is no way I'm going to hurt Kisa. She is my friend and I would never do something like that to her."

He drifted right to her and leaned into her. The pressure of his lips was tremendous and Tohru felt herself shrinking underneath him like before. He lifted his head and whispered.

"You will do it Tohru. You _will_."

She closed her eyes, and suddenly she heard the heartbeat in her head again. As she pulled away, Yuki's smile vanished and a worried expression filled his face.

"Tohru, what happened? You're pale and your eyes…"

The cold dread inside of her wouldn't leave and she knew that she hadn't dreamt meeting with Akito. The horrible truth of the matter was that she was now the head of the Sohmas, and she had to do whatever Akito bid her to do.

"Tohru?"

She snapped her head to him and sighed.

"I think I need to go rest. My head hurts a bit."

He nodded and they walked back to the house together. She let her arm drop towards her side when she saw Kyo and Kagura coming towards them. Kagura was laughing and smiling sweetly. Tohru wished that she had never gone to the Sohma residence that one morning; she wished that she could still be cheerful Tohru Honda, but now she was Tohru Sohma, and her goal was to make everyone around her miserable.

..:-:..

Shigure hummed to himself and then smiled when he heard the phone ring. He picked it up and sang into the receiver.

"Helllooo? This is Shigure speakingggg!"

"Seriously, do you have to do that all of the time?"

His face beamed and he dropped his jaw excitedly.

"Is that you Hatori? I haven't heard from you in the longest time!"

"Yeah, it's great to speak to you as well. Listen, I'm calling because of Akito."

Shigure's smile disappeared and he became serious, for once.

"What is it?"

"Everyone has been gone and Akito insisted that we took a vacation without him. He's been alone at the Sohma residence, so I was wondering if you and everyone else could go and check up on him."

"Of course. That would be a wise thing to do. Thank you for telling me Hatori."

"It's all right. Just make sure that he's fine."

"Okay. I'll tell everyone right now."

He hung up the phone just as Kyo, Kagura, Yuki and Tohru came inside. They looked at his serious face and knew that something had happened.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make. Go get dressed because today, we are going to go visit Akito."

Tohru's jaw dropped and her eyes widened immediately. Yuki looked at her nervously, hoping that she wouldn't give anything away. Kyo shrugged his shoulders and looked away just as Kagura looked down at her feet. Tohru's voice was high and desperate. She didn't want to see him ever again, even though he could come to her at anytime he desired.

"Why do we have to go? I don't want to…"

"I'm sorry Tohru, but he's been at the residence by himself for a few days and Hatori insists that we check up on him."

She shook her head and then felt the dizziness overwhelm her again. Her body became limp and her world black as she tilted to the side. Yuki gasped and caught her before she fell, but as everyone's eyes were on them, he quickly stretched his arms out so it looked like they hadn't come into close contact. If he didn't transform, everyone would start wondering why that was.

"Oh my, poor Tohru. It seems that she is truly ill. Kagura, will you help her up to her room?"

She nodded and took Tohru into her arms. Tohru had become frail and she had lost dramatic weight over the past few days, so it wasn't too difficult for Kagura to get her upstairs. Kyo sulked quietly and Yuki paced around nervously. How would everyone react when Akito wasn't there? His gut told him that it was going to be nowhere near a happy celebratory party. He walked upstairs and heard a soft whimper come from Tohru's room. Yuki opened the door to see Kagura helping Tohru into her bed.

"I don't know what it is that has gotten to her. I'm starting to become worried Yuki."

He stood silently and watched her breathe. Yuki had no idea what was wrong either. Tohru's past with Akito seemed a lifetime ago, but it was as if he haunted her every moment that she lived.

* * *

**A/N:** This was such a hard chapter to write for some reason… I kept trying and trying, but I would always get distracted and I'd leave it at a paragraph or two… thankfully I got a boost of inspiration yesterday somehow ;) I hope you liked it! And I hope that it explained a bit as well! Thanks so much for reading and a review would be much appreciated!

-Monika-


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The stillness in the air surrounding Tohru caused her lungs to depreciate. Every corner of the room was filled with a hazy glow of shadows, her body hidden within it. Her muscles tugged at her as she writhed on her bed. The bitter draft swept through her veins and that was when she awoke from her nightmare. Her body ached as if she had undergone intensive surgery. Her eyes had become tiny slits, her hair was frizzy and she saw that there was a growing dimness outside the window. The light must have played a trick on her mind; there was no way possible that fog could float around in her room.

She sat up and scooted over towards the edge of the bed. As her toes touched the floor timidly, she felt a shiver run up her back. With all the strength she could use, Tohru pushed herself to stand. In a matter of a second, her knees buckled and she winced as her knees hit the floor. Her arms held her up, and she crawled slowly to the door. She slid it open and then pushed herself up again, using the wall to aid her.

The strength inside of her was fluctuating but the stream of sunlight guided her down the stairs. She had to go to the Sohma House before they would start to wonder what happened to Akito. Her life was crumbling, her frizzy hair portraying that.

..:-:..

Everyone had already made it to the house. The walk there was in eerie silence. This is how everyone felt each time they went to visit the head of the Sohmas. Shigure was the first to step through the gate. As he did, the feeling in the pit of his stomach subsided and he smiled. For the first time, he felt like a regular person, there was no condemning no person to answer to, and he knew that in his heart. The celebration ended in a moment, when everyone came inside and felt the same lack of worry inside of them. There was something wrong.

A door opened in the distance, and Hatori stepped out. Yuki dropped his jaw, as did everyone else, when Hatori came running towards them laughing cheerfully.

"Everyone is here! It's so wonderful! Come! There's a feast inside!"

Suddenly, everyone turned their heads to the left as the squealing melodies of Ayame's theater voice sang to the strumming of his guitar.

"What a wonderful day it is today! Let's join together as I say! It will be marvelous like Hatori, but maybe you'll do something to him and say sorry!"

Kyo walked up to Ayame, whose silver hair shined brilliantly in the sunlight. He fumed and rolled his eyes.

"That made no sense at all."

"So?" He strummed his guitar once again, "it's still a song and I feel as pretty as a songbird! Say, where's dear Tohru?"

Silence emitted from the group gathered in the courtyard and then Kagura spoke up while rubbing her arm.

"She's not feeling that well. So Tohru stayed home."

Hatori returned back to his regular state of mind and looked at her with concern.

"Is she all right? Should I go check up on her?"

"Oh no, I think that won't be necessary Hatori. Kagura gave her some tea and she's resting in bed. I think she's caught a cold."

Hatori cocked his eyebrow at Shigure who was smiling sheepishly. Yuki looked towards the house gloomily and then looked away, the memories haunting him.

"So, you said there's food?"

"Plenty! What's a beautiful day like this without a feast?" Ayame asked gloriously.

Right then, there was a crack of loud thunder above them, and to their surprise, the sun had disappeared in a matter of moments behind a sky filled with ominous gray clouds. Kyo immediately scurried across the courtyard and into the safe comfort of the house. Kagura followed right after, and the rest of them came in as well. In the main dining room, there was a long table filled with every kind of food. Ayame and Shigure started to pour the drinks for everyone, and then suddenly the door slid open.

Kisa, the little orange-headed girl, was stepped inside timidly as Hiro followed her with folded arms.

"Well look who it is! I'm so glad the two of you are here!" exclaimed Hatori.

"Don't forget me!"

Momiji came bouncing in after them and headed straight for the table. Soon enough, everyone began to talk and laugh as the thunder boomed outside. No one paid any notice of it however, and the party continued without any interruptions.

"Isn't this fantastic? Almost everyone in the zodiac is here! Where's Hatsuharu?" asked Ayame.

"You know, I'm not too sure, but I think he said that he and Rin had gone somewhere."

Shigure and Ayame laughed hysterically as they poked each other in the ribs. Hatori came over to them and sighed.

"Will the two of you ever grow up?"

"Come on Hatori! It's fun to be crazy and wild, like us!"

Somewhere in another corner of the room, Momiji and Kisa were dancing to some music on the radio. Hiro kept eyeing them, a scowl placed on his face. The soft hush of the rain bounced off of the porch and that was the only reason why he wasn't mouthing off. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Hiro loved Kisa, and this would finally be the day that he would be able to tell her. They had grown up a bit since Tohru had come to resolve the issue of Kisa's coyness.

Yuki stood alone near the porch. He was the one who had opened the door a bit, and he couldn't help but stare out at the rain. The foggy blur and the puddles on the ground vibrated with each drop of water. The impact seemed to strike him as if the rain were plummeting down on top of him. His body felt heavy for some reason, and the more he tuned out from the noise of the party, the more he began to worry about Tohru. Something was wrong, it was subtle, and no one seemed to talk a word about Akito's disappearance. But he knew perfectly well why everyone was in a cheerful mood, and that exactly why he couldn't be as joyous as the rest of them.

..:-:..

Tohru had struggled to walk on her own to the house. The entire time she was alone with her thoughts, and she couldn't bear to hear the conflicts rising inside of her mind. There wasn't enough time to fight herself though, and when that was the case, it was really a fight with Akito. His voice popped into her head ever so often, and teased her. Finally, the rage inside of her heart piled up into one huge ball and she felt the electricity in the air around her. As she neared the house, she looked up and saw that the thunder had finally let loose a wave of rain. Each drop pushed her down more, weakening her, yet when she finally came to the gates of the Sohma residence, she merely stood in front of them, letting the rain soak through to her pale skin. She didn't feel the cold seeping into her head, her hair straight and sleek, dripping along with the rain. Her clothes pressed against her arms and legs, and then finally she pushed the gate open. Each step she took, she took with an overbearing weight that kept her planted firmly to the ground.

Yuki kept his gaze out into the courtyard. Suddenly, he saw it open and when her small frame stepped through, his eyes widened and he gasped. Yuki pushed the door ajar and leapt out into the rain. He winced as the rush of rain fell onto him with more force than he had initially imagined. Tohru didn't pay any attention, and all she did was focus her eyes on the ground. Yuki was soaked within seconds of coming outside, but he didn't care. As soon as he reached her, the puddles around his feet flooded into his shoes and then Tohru just stood. She slowly raised her head and what Yuki saw made him step back in shock.

Her eyes were drooping in their sockets. Her nose was blotched red and her bangs sliced against the skin of her forehead. She was shriveled in her wet clothes and her arms were hanging against her body limply. Her lips parted and she gasped for breaths.

"Do they know? Am I late?"

All Yuki could do was shake his head in response. It pained him to see her state worsen like this, but he didn't have the time for a talk; he had to get her inside before she died from hypothermia.

"Come on Tohru. I have to get you inside."

She shivered when he touched her, but Tohru let the warmth of his hand seep into her shoulder. They made their way towards the open porch doors, in which almost all of the members of the Sohma family were standing in. Kisa watched in horror as Tohru's ill form came closer to her view. She whimpered to see her friend in such a state, and Hiro noticed this. He took her hand and held it tight. Kisa looked up to him, her golden eyes round and afraid.

"It's all right Kisa. Tohru is going to be fine."

He tugged on her arm and they left the group. She followed hesitantly as he lead her to a corridor and into the kitchen. He showed her the desert treats on the table and her tears softened. She let go of his hand and wiped her eyes so that they were dry.

"Look Kisa! We can be the first ones to get whatever desert we want! What do you think? The chocolate supreme cake, or the banana split, with whipped cream and a cherry on top?"

She smiled meekly and found herself laughing along with Hiro. Kisa scratched her head and then took the banana split.

"I'm going to take this! It looks almost too pretty to eat!"

Hiro took the plate with the slice of cake and then looked right into her eyes.

"It's not as pretty as you are though…"

Both of them blushed madly, but the dim kitchen hid their flushed faces. Suddenly they both jumped when the door in the dining room was slammed shut.

"Kagura! Get her a couple of blankets!"

Hatori led the shivering girl into the other room. Shigure went to fix the fireplace immediately and then Tohru sat down in the oversized chair that was placed right next to it. Kagura rushed into the room with a bundle of blankets, which she handed over to Yuki. He wrapped Tohru in them and then took one for himself. Kyo stood away from the fireplace, observing what was happening. The trail of water stains came from the dining room and ended right where Tohru sat. Suddenly, the festive atmosphere of the party had ceased to exist. Momiji knelt beside her and looked at her with worry.

"Tohru, are… are you all right?"

She didn't even look at him. She stared off into space, the voices in her head becoming stronger. Hatori took Shigure aside with Ayame, and the three of them held a concerned conference.

"It seems to me that she is out of her mind," said Hatori.

"Well, she was acting a bit strange around the house…"

"Come now, dear Tohru is simply having a very overt case of the hilly pox!"

The two of them looked at Ayame with annoyed confusion. He cleared his throat in explanation.

"You see, every girl has a case of the hilly pox before she matures into a beautiful woman, as graceful as a swan! She is in the process of figuring out what it means to have emotional attachments for the opposite gender! Oh how unfortunate it is that Tohru must suffer so!"

Hatori smacked Ayame on the back of his head and then Shigure rolled his eyes. Ayame was known for not being serious at times when things weren't so funny as he thought they were.

"I'm going to try to forget that he even thought of that excuse. I should examine her as soon as possible and figure out what's happened to her mind."

The three of them nodded and then turned their heads to look at Tohru, who was now warming to the flames of the fire. Amber sparks glinted in its light and her eyes shadowed the hollow flames inside of her soul.

'_You must do it Tohru… you must do it…'_

She shook her head furiously and closed her eyes. Momiji stepped back as the droplets of water flew from the ends of her hair. Yuki knew what was happening to her, more or less. The trauma of what had happened to her must have been enough to cause mental damage inside of her mind. He felt his limbs wearing down to the ground and he began to slouch as he watched the emptiness inside of her grow with each second that passed by. The room was silent and the dull roar of thunder escaped into the fireplace causing the flames to flicker momentarily.

Shigure watched her aching movements, the way her head hung low and her eyes gazed at nothing in particular. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, his worry not just for her, but for the rest of them as well. As soon as she had stepped inside that house, the dreadful void was filled once again. Akito might not have been there, and no one really knew why, but each knew better than to ask Tohru about it.

"Get me to my room."

Yuki moved at once and helped her stand up. The blankets were soaking now, and as they fell onto the chair, she fumbled with her fingers so that she could grab onto Yuki's arm. The two of them left the room, no one daring to say a word to Tohru. Her presence had been made, her power already making the invisible barrier delve into their hearts. They walked up the stairs in silence and without knowing where they were going; they headed straight into Akito's old room. Tohru let go of Yuki's arm and she stared at the bed for a few minutes, not blinking once.

'_You and I are one… one…'_

Yuki saw Tohru suddenly jolt out of her trance and he pulled her into his arms. For a second, she seemed to resist, pushing him away feebly. Yuki was much stronger than her, and in a matter of moments, his warmth caressed her body and she sighed heavily. He stroked her stiff hair and then held her.

"Why did you come here Tohru? Why did you leave?"

Her muffled sobs echoed into his chest and she pulled on him tighter.

"I don't know Yuki… I don't know anything anymore… except for the voices in my head… he really won't leave me alone…it's horrible…"

"Who won't leave you alone?"

She stepped back and gazed into his cloudy eyes.

"Akito! I told you before… please believe me Yuki… you have to help…"

He focused on her eyes, how they dilated and contracted within seconds even though the amount of light hadn't changed at all. She shivered then, and he knew that when she closed her eyes, something was happening to her.

_'He can't help you… make him leave…'_

"Tohru?"

She swallowed hard and then stood up straight. When she opened her eyes and let the air out of her lungs, she looked directly into his eyes with commanding.

"You have to go Yuki. Please leave me."

He shook his head. There was no way he was going to leave her now that he was alone with her.

"I can't do that Tohru. I have to stay with you."

She stepped right up to him and lifted her head as she tilted it to the right. Her eyelids were half closed and she peered at him from underneath. Yuki had the strange sensation that he was talking with someone else beside Tohru.

"Do you want me to hurt you Yuki? I'll do it if I have to. Remember before?"

The walls seemed to close in around him as he looked into her eyes. He had to break the eye contact, and only then was he able to breathe.

"I need to be alone for a while. I'll come down when I'm better."

Yuki detested himself for stepping through the open doorway, and then closing it behind him, but he had no other choice. Slowly, he walked down the stairs and made his way back to the room with the fireplace. Kagura rushed over to Yuki and looked at him pleadingly.

"Yuki? Is she all right? What's wrong with her?"

He shook his head and braved a smile.

"Tohru said she feels better when she rests here…"

Hatori came up to Yuki, who seemed to be just as tired as Tohru.

"Are you all right yourself?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

He walked past them all and went to go sit down in the chair where Tohru had sat minutes before. Yuki leaned his cheek on his hand and sighed. Everyone looked around aimlessly, the music no longer present in the house.

Hiro and Kisa were laughing joyously in the kitchen. Apparently, because of the darkness, Hiro had slipped and his face had fallen into another cake. He began to wipe the icing off of his face, but suddenly he felt a soft kiss on his right cheek. Kisa held her lips against his skin for a moment and then licked his face. She smacked her lips together as her tongue wiped the icing off of her mouth. Hiro smiled to himself and laughed.

"Thanks for helping Kisa."

"Sure! Do you want to go find a bathroom with a sink?"

"Okay… let's go."

He took her hand once more and they left the kitchen. They heard hushed whispers coming from the room where everyone was gathered. Thinking that Tohru was still there, Hiro guided Kisa up the stairs. She began to worry a bit because of the dim lighting, so she squeezed his hand tighter.

"There's nothing to worry about Kisa. Up here it's great. No one will be able to tell us what to do! We could even have our own adventure!"

They found the bathroom and went inside so that they could clean Hiro's face.

In the room at the end of the corridor, Tohru sat on her bed silently. She focused on the bed sheets and hung her head low. Suddenly, there was a boom of thunder and she froze with shock. Her eyes darted up and in the illuminating light of the room; she saw his figure sneering at her. Akito stood there translucent, yet very much alive. The overwhelming dread seeped into her body again and she edged towards the wall behind the bed.

"What do you want?"

The lightening lit up the room once more and this time, his ghostly figure was more shadowy than before, stirring up the fear in her throat.

_"I'm glad you came back here… this is a special place Tohru…"_

The slouching figure darted towards her in a second and then the air particles, which held his image, became heavier and when his fingers grabbed her wrist, she felt him. Her eyes widened as his mouth covered hers. She expected the kiss to kill her, everything up until then had been torture enough, yet he didn't kiss her, and the more time passed, she realized that she didn't really feel him up against her. It had all been an illusion caused by the fear. Akito was gone; he couldn't come back to life. Even though he wasn't kissing her, she still felt the wind knocked out of her lungs. When he floated away towards the wall, he stood sneering once more. She sat up with more confidence this time, and she didn't feel anything at all. Her whole body was numb, but it wasn't just that. Tohru was incapable of understanding emotion right then, and when she heard his voice, she stood up at once.

_"You need to separate happiness. Go to them, and make sure they know the truth behind their love. Go Tohru, and become one with me…"_

She nodded and then slipped away from the room. Tohru slid the door shut and then turned her head towards the other end of the corridor. She heard faint giggles and then she narrowed her eyes. Her feet moved gracefully and with a hidden force she didn't have until that moment. When she reached the bathroom, she stood outside of it, ready for them to come outside of it.

"You're so funny Hiro… you always make me laugh!"

"I'm happy that you're happy Kisa. I need to tell you something… Kisa… there's no one else I'd rather be with than you…"

At that moment, the door flung open and Kisa's bright smile shrunk into nothing but a small oval. Tohru's eyes bore down into hers and then Kisa began to shake violently in fear. Hiro narrowed his eyes and started to reach for Kisa's arm so that he could protect her. Unfortunately, Tohru had developed faster reflexes than a cat in those few moments, and she snatched Kisa away by the hair on her head. Kisa cried out in pain and then found herself clinging to Tohru's arm out in the hallway. The light of the bathroom flooded onto Tohru, and Hiro could see that she had transformed into a powerful woman. She wasn't so weak anymore and there was a tiny bit of his heart that wanted to flee in fear, but he knew he couldn't.

"Tohru… why are you hurting me?" Kisa's small voice trembled as she asked.

"Listen to me Kisa, listen to me well. Hiro is a liar. He will hurt you so much that you will live in darkness for the rest of your life. You need to be with me, be with your true friend. I will protect you from hurt."

Kisa whimpered as the tears fell down her face. She looked into Hiro's helpless eyes, trying to reach out towards him. Kisa was lost, unable to define which was the truth. Tohru was her friend and she trusted her, yet she felt an inseparable bond with Hiro. She looked up to Tohru and then shrank further as the hollow circles filled her thoughts.

"Kisa… I would never hurt you!"

At that moment, all she heard was a loud slap, and then she saw that the left side of Hiro's face was bright red. Tohru stood above him and warned him.

"Don't lie again."

It was that simple. All she had to do was say those three words and he would obey, he had to. Hiro took one last glance at Kisa, who was whimpering still. As he began to make his way towards the stairs, he changed his course at once and then took Kisa into his arms. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that Tohru wouldn't kick him aside, but suddenly he felt that he was holding onto nothing. Hiro opened his eyes and took a step back as the clouds receded. A small tiger lay curled up on the floor and she cried hopelessly. Tohru picked Kisa up into her arms and then looked into Hiro's eyes cruelly.

"See what you've done to her? Go. And don't speak a word of this to anyone. Understood?"

Hiro nodded quickly and then bounded down the steps. His heart was filled with rage and sorrow for the loss of his love.

Tohru slipped back into her room and settled into the bed with Kisa in her arms. She tucked her clothes under the sheets and then held her close to her body, trying to comfort her. Kisa soon fell asleep in Tohru's arms and then popped back into her regular form. Tohru dressed her and then rested her head on top of Kisa's.

Sometime afterwards, Yuki saw Hiro come into the room. He was surprised that it was only Yuki there alone.

"Where did everyone go?"

The rain had subsided outside and the storm had passed.

"They went to bed. You should go too… where's Kisa?"

Before he could get an answer, Hiro had vanished from his view. The fire had simmered down to a soft glow and Yuki stood up, his body aching. He walked up the stairs as if he was an old man, too much on his mind and heart to think about. Yuki yawned as he opened the door to Tohru's room. He was taken aback when he saw that Kisa was sleeping with Tohru, each had their hair sprawled out on the pillows. He could see clearly that Tohru was troubled, even though she was sleeping. The only thing he could do was go to her and fall asleep, so as soon as his arms were around her protectively, he closed his eyes and let the dreams take him away from all of his troubles.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**A/N:** Was that an okay chapter? Confusing, or stupid? I don't know what to do anymore… school is taking over my life… so I'm sorry, but the update for this might come in another month… please review before you go! It will help me when I need inspiration, for "reviews are a writer's food". :D Thanks so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!

-Monika-


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The first rays of morning sunlight crept silently into the room, filling it with a soft yellow glow. The storm had passed and the leaves dripped with sweet cool water. A water droplet fell onto the windowsill and splashed. Tohru wriggled her nose as if she was about to sneeze and then the chilly warmth made her shiver. Her eyes blinked a few times and then she lifted her head off of the pillow as if her whole body was buried underneath the house. When she adjusted to the light, she turned her head to the right and saw that Yuki was lying right next to her. As the birds began to chirp outside, she felt a new sense of life. A smile brightened on her face, the stress in her head gone as if someone had pulled it out with a long thread.

Tohru brushed her frail fingers over Yuki's messy hair and then she lowered her head and gave him a kiss on his forehead. He stirred and then opened his eyes gradually. The first thing he saw was the warmth in her eyes, how they seemed to look at him with another sense of adoration. The cold shadows weren't there anymore.

"Tohru?"

He sat up quickly and then his back straightened as if someone pressed a board against it. Tohru flung her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to the pounding in his chest. Yuki wrapped his arms around her and hid his face into her shoulder, breathing in the new life that had bred inside of her overnight.

"I feel so different Yuki! I feel like I felt before… before…"

She couldn't bring herself to recall all that had happened, and she didn't need to. Yuki pulled his head away and looked into her eyes, tears falling down his face gently.

"I thought that I would never see you smile again Tohru… it hurt me so much to see you like that… so dark and bitter."

She wiped away his tears, her fingertips gliding across his smooth skin as if feeling it for the first time in her life. A small sparkle came alive into her eyes, her heart opening itself and allowing the emotions to spill from it.

"Don't let me become like that again Yuki. I was so lost and afraid."

The words choked in her throat and then Yuki embraced her again. Tohru closed her eyes fiercely and gripped his shirt so hard that her knuckles turned white. He caressed her and whispered kindly into her ear.

"Speak softly, like the breeze in the morning and don't let the tide carry you away."

Tohru smiled, the tears spilling down her face like a soft river. The warmth inside of her body began to spread faster than she could have imagined.

"There's so much I want to say to you Yuki, now that I'm…"

She pulled away suddenly and leaned back as if someone was pulling on her hair. Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly, tranquilized in fear.

_"You aren't going to tell him anything! I thought I might reward you for your excellent behavior last night… remember the pain? I think you will now… I will think twice before I let you free like that again."_

Tohru trembled as she looked over to Kisa, who was lying curled up and completely pale. She shook her head as the warmth was drained away and she flinched when Yuki touched her arm.

"Tohru! Are you all right? What's happening?"

The fear depressed itself and then her eyelids drooped. Her trembling vanished and her back slouched. When she looked into his eyes, she could tell that he knew what had happened.

"Your eyes… they're hollow and distant again… Tohru! Come back to me!"

He shook her arms and her body flailed each way that he pulled her. Without another thought, he embraced her with all of his strength, hoping that she would find that seed of emotion in her heart. Yuki gritted his teeth as he kept pulling her towards him, her weight constantly slipping out of his arms.

"Tohru… please don't do this… please come back to me, I can't take it anymore!"

The silence rippled throughout the room and then her slick icy voice penetrated it.

"Let go of me Yuki."

He fought with every muscle in his body, which lessened the grip he had on her, because his mind obeyed, yet his heart did anything far from it. Once she sat on the bed alone, she slowly moved away from him and walked towards Kisa. Tohru searched the young girl's face for agony and bitterly smiled as she touched Kisa's forehead. Yuki watched bewildered as Tohru's fingers became luminescent for a few seconds. The light faded and then he saw that Tohru's face seemed fuller, more of life than before. Tohru jerked her head towards Yuki, her eyes glaring at him beyond her shoulders.

"Did you see that Yuki? It is how I am able to live each moment that I keep my eyes open. I feed off of the misery that lives in each of the cursed Sohmas. So do not question my actions if you want to see me live another day."

Yuki narrowed his eyes and his jaw clenched. That voice was not Tohru's. It was someone else's.

"_Akito_… Akito! Stop using Tohru! You cruel foul beast!"

He leapt off of the bed and raced towards Tohru who was standing at an angle. Yuki grabbed onto her shoulders and looked deep into her dark black eyes, stained with the torture of another soul inside of her body.

"I know you're in there Tohru. Fight him! Fight him so that you don't have to live like this anymore! Do it for me, do it for Kisa, and do it for yourself Tohru!"

His fierce plea shattered the hold Akito had and in the distance, he heard an echo of a growl. For an instant, her eyes softened and she looked at Yuki with worry.

"I can't do this Yuki… he's too strong… help me!"

The terror in her eyes shined as an inner battle was taking place.

_"Do you really think that you can win against me Tohru? I am a part of you, remember? Nothing he will do or say can break that special bond we share!"_

Yuki scanned her eyes for any sign of hope but her body became limp once more and despite his tedious efforts of shaking and yelling, the cold glare was back. This time, it really was Akito's voice he heard.

"Let go of her now! I am tired of this foolish game you are playing! There is nothing you can do, and if you get in my way, I will make you pay dearly!"

"You can't hurt me Akito! You're _dead_… you're not… alive…"

"Do you really believe what you just said? You are lying to yourself. Look at her, look at her and tell me that you don't see that I'm alive… if you dare to interfere with my plans again, I swear that I will make you suffer more than you've ever suffered before… because now, I can control her, _the girl_ you can't live without… might be gone in the moment you turn your back!"

Yuki took a step back and stumbled onto the bed. The hazy glow in Tohru's eyes subsided and she folded her arms, smirking.

"Make sure that Kisa gets up all right. I have something urgent which I must attend to."

Swiftly, her robe trailing behind her, Tohru left the room and closed the door silently. The constant beat inside of his chest felt more like a hammer driving the pain into his heart. If this would go on any longer, he didn't know if he could stand to see her controlled like that. Kisa stirred next to him and he wiped the sweat off of her brows. Yuki shook his head and sighed sullenly.

..:-:..

In the kitchen, everyone had gathered after the festive night. The clouds of strain and anxiety kept lurching over their heads, and each sat silently. Even Momiji's playful curiosity had vanished. As each second passed by, they grew wearier of finding out what had happened with Akito and what was wrong with Tohru.

"It's very unusual… and there is a grave coincidence with Akito's disappearance and Tohru's infirmity. Her symptoms are much like Akito's."

Everyone turned their heads towards Hatori and they saw the grim expression leaking out of his mouth as he spoke. Kagura squeezed Kyo's hand underneath the table and she looked at him with despair, her nose scrunched up as if she was holding back tears.

"We don't know if that is true Hatori. But for certain, Tohru has been acting most peculiar," Shigure pointed out figuratively.

"No one can be sure until I examine her. She might be up by now, maybe I should go check…"

"No Hatori!" Kagura leaped out of her seat instantly. "You should wait until she comes down. I think she… she needs as much rest without us getting in her way… let's wait until she comes downstairs."

Kagura sat back down and looked at her lap. She jumped when she felt Kyo's hand on her back.

"Are you all right Kagura? You seem… agitated."

"Oh, I'm fine Kyo! I'm just worried about Tohru… her behavior… it's been so strange!"

Hatori heard the last phrase uttered from her mouth and beckoned her to elaborate.

"What do you mean Kagura?"

"Well, I know she told me not to tell anyone, but for a few mornings, she said she was going for a walk… but she went really early, and I don't think that she ever did that before. I'm not positive, but I think she might have gone to see someone…"

Shigure's eyes glistened with theories bubbling around in his brain, but Ayame cut him from saying anything.

"If I might add something to this discussion… I think it is possible, since Hatori mentioned the coincidental correlation between Akito and Tohru, that perhaps she had visited Akito before he disappeared. I wouldn't be surprised if she helped him in some way, so that none of us would have known."

Everyone's jaw dropped with disbelief. Ayame was never one to theorize so poetically, neither act seriously about anything that didn't concern him directly.

"That actually makes a lot of sense Ayame," Momiji said after nodding his head a few times.

"Okay, that settles it, I'm going to go check on Tohru and I'm going to get the truth out of her once and for all."

Just as Hatori was about to get up, they heard a loud crash come from the dinning room, the foreboding was never stronger than at that moment.

..:-:..

Tohru slipped down the stairs and sensed that two familiar auras had arrived at her house. She snickered to herself and then glided down the hall towards the entrance. The window was slightly ajar and she saw a tall man with white hair, and a slender women with sleek brown hair coming towards the house.

"Perfect. They are right on time."

Rin and Hatsuharu held each other's hands as they walked up towards the Sohma household.

"I wonder what Hatori said was so urgent. I really liked it up at the spa."

Hatsuharu smiled and looked down into her eyes adoringly.

"I liked it there too, but family matters are the most important, aren't they? Besides, I don't want to make Akito angry with us."

Rin nodded her head and then opened the door. Her hair dangled elegantly from the top of her head and when she stepped inside the dimly lit house, she suddenly felt the confidence seep out of her, as if someone was beckoning it at its weakened point. She shivered and Hatsuharu messaged her shoulders, trying to not feel the pang of sorrow himself. They slipped their shoes off and began to make their way down the hall. Abruptly, a slithering dark voice called to them from inside the living room.

"Come here. I need to speak with you."

Rin's eyes flashed with fear and Hatsuharu gripped her leather bound hand tighter. With a deep breath for reassurance, they stepped into the room and shut the door behind them. Two eyes glittered in the darkness and when they stepped closer, they kneeled immediately, believing it to be Akito.

"I have missed your presence beside me. Why have you not visited for so long?"

Rin's hair swept off the floor as she lifted her head.

"I'm sorry Akito. I didn't know you wanted an audience with us."

Hatsuharu lifted his head then, and snarled, seeing Rin being reigned in and controlled. She was as free as the wind and she didn't care about commands or rules.

"What are you doing to her? She's pale and her profound confidence shrank the moment she walked into this house!"

His eyes turned dark and his hands lunged forward towards the person in the chair. Right when he was going to reach for Akito's neck, Hatsuharu stopped and heard Rin weeping. He looked towards her and saw that she was clenching her abdomen in pain. The darkness in his eyes faded away and the tears glimmered in his eyes.

"Please don't do this Akito… I beg you, don't hurt her!"

"You never answered my question Hatsuharu. Where have you been? Where have _both_ of you been?"

He clenched his fists and then answered, the tears stopping at the corners of his eyes.

"We have been up at the Sohma spa resort."

"Oh… have you? The two of you… _alone?_ I must say that is very displeasing news to hear."

Hatsuharu's eyes widened as the cold grip caught his neck. His head jerked upwards and then he began to choke as he saw whom the pair of ruthless eyes belong to.

"Toh…ru?" he asked amid struggling to breathe.

"Yes, it is she, and yet it is not. You will obey what I say, unless you want something else to happen, something you won't enjoy…"

She let go and his eyes saw the reminiscent sparks of malicious laughter in her face. He turned and saw Rin writher to the floor in more agony.

"Hatsu…ha…ru! Ah!"

He reached for her but Tohru stepped into his path. The blazing anger in his sweat dripped from his face and onto his arms. He growled in fury and then threw a vase against the wall, its shattering pieces creating the echoing boom of what remained of his and Rin's relationship.

"I can't let you do this to us! You can't separate us no matter what you try!"

"Oh really? Can't I?"

Rin let out another anguished cry as she gripped the corner of a couch. Hatsuharu's chest quaked as he tried to breathe steadily.

"Fine! Just stop it! Stop torturing her!"

Tohru's crooked smile turned into a slim horizontal line. At once, Rin took a huge breath of air and Hatsuharu helped her stand up. The physical pain inside of her was gone, but the emotional flurry of rage began to roar inside her heart.

"You… you aren't Akito! You're that girl Tohru! How dare… how _dare_ you!"

She leaped through the air and caught onto Tohru's robe as well as her neck, yet her fingers slipped and then she cried out in pain, silencing the uprising inside of Rin. Tohru's eyes became narrow slits as she fumed. Her reflexes told her to grab onto the woman's hair and she let her dangle at her touch.

"Don't _you_ dare question me! I will teach you a lesson, you ungrateful…"

All at once the room flooded with light and a stampede of people rushed inside. Tohru's hair flickered back and forth across her face as Hatori and Shigure surrounded her. Her grip on Rin was lost and she crumbled to the floor with a thud. Hatsuharu helped her get up again and Tohru went franticly crazy.

"No! You are _not_ allowed to be together! I forbid it! Let go of her, now!"

She struggled to lunge forward as the two men, now accompanied by Ayame, held her in position. Momiji's eyes filled with tears and he ran out of the room, unable to see Tohru act like a different person all together. Kagura came into the room last and when she saw the frenzy pale face of Tohru, and her loose dark eyes, she whimpered and lost her balance. Kyo heard her gasp and immediately caught her before she fell. In the blink of an eye, they both transformed and shriveled into their animal forms. Like a chain reaction, Rin and Hatsuharu had embraced, also transforming. The men's grip on Tohru tapered and she stumbled forward, her shoulders jumping up and down, a stream of croaked chuckles sweeping the room.

"What… what just… happened?"

"Oh, don't act like you don't know Hatori. You know perfectly well what just happened."

He stood firmly and his gaze fell away from Tohru and towards the chaos of animals, especially the horse and the cow standing in the middle of it all. Ayame had already cleaned the floor of the broken pieces of glass that shattered from the vase and then as Tohru was about to leave, Yuki came into the room with Kisa waddling near him. Tohru stopped and took in the sadness that emitted from the little girl's eyes. She wavered for a second and then looked at Yuki.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard something like a crash… are you all right?"

Shigure shook his head and rubbed his forehead vigorously.

"What I don't get is why everyone seems confused except for Yuki…"

At the mention of his name, his face tightened and Tohru flashed around towards the adult men in the room.

"You shouldn't be confused Shigure. I think that perhaps it is time that everything is revealed. Or not. I'll think about it."

She walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Yuki looked away and sighed deeply, his heart twisting out of control and the sorrow growing even more. For a few minutes that morning, he had thought that Tohru had been cured of the evil that resided inside of her, but now he truly understood the harmful potential of Akito's power over her. As he was thinking this, a few popping noises scattered throughout the room and the animals disappeared. Everyone rolled their eyes and looked away as the four Sohmas dressed themselves.

Kyo looked around and saw that the same thing that happened to him and Kagura happened as well to Rin and Hatsuharu. He clenched his fists and walked up to Hatori with complete fury written on his face.

"What the hell is going on huh? Why did all of us change when he hugged each other? Hatori! Damn it! Why aren't you saying anything?"

He had closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He slowly raised his eyes and looked into Kyo's face with enormous guilt.

"I'm sorry Kyo, and everyone else. Things have… it seems that things have differed in our curse…"

Ayame stopped cleaning the room and looked up along with everyone else. Rin shook her head incredulously and shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"What do you mean _differed_? That girl has gone crazy and you believe some kind of riddle she just told you?"

"I agree! This is all ridiculous. Come on Rin, we're out of here."

As Hatsuharu grabbed Rin's wrist, Hatori pulled him back by his shoulder.

"There's no point. Any time you want to be close to her, either one of you, or both of you will transform. That is our curse now. The tides have shifted against us."

The deafening tension crashed down on each person's soul and Kagura whimpered, looking at Kyo with tears in her eyes.

"Is that why… why each time…"

He clenched his fist and jammed his jaw shut.

"This is a bunch of shit! Now that I finally want to, I can't be close with Kagura? Who does Tohru think she is? Akito is the only one who bosses us around!"

Yuki's heart began to race as he saw the aftermath of Akito's experiment unfolding. Suddenly, everyone was yelling and arguing with each other. Tears were spilling down the woman's faces and Kisa had run off to find Momiji and join him in the desolate doom of the cursed Sohmas. He fled himself, and left everyone arguing.

..:-:..

The day had passed and everyone was searching for Tohru. She had disappeared and no one could find her. Along with this, Yuki had gone missing, but some just thought he was looking for her as well. That was exactly what he was doing, and now that the moon was shining above him, his worry began to take a turn for the worst. The thought of Akito hurting Tohru was enough to drive his anxiety up the wall. His search had led him back towards the house, literally. Yuki sank into the forest behind the Sohma residence and walked through the maze of trees until he reached the small lake in the middle of it. The ripples of the water shimmered and reflected the light, which glided down onto him.

"Where are you Tohru? I wish I could just know that you're all right."

He gazed into the water and then threw a rock at his reflection. His eyes were covered with dark circles and his hair was a dirty mess. The waves subsided and then he gasped. In the reflection, Tohru stood behind his shoulder.

"Tohru?" He turned around and saw that it really was her standing behind him. His eyes glistened with happiness and he was about to hug her when she put a hand up to his chest.

"Don't do it Yuki." He dropped his arms and his gaze fell to the sorrow it had held before.

"Why did you do it? What happened to the curse? I'm so confused and soon, everyone is going to accuse me of having something to do with this mess!"

A small chuckle rose out of her chest and then her bangs covered her eyes. Through the hair, he saw the truth inside of her dim ovals.

"But you do Yuki. You're the one that created the reversal. Remember when you hugged me? In that moment, your _love_ reshaped the curse. Because you felt so strongly about a woman, a woman who you were cursed to be with, you broke the spell. Now, each Sohma who loves another is cursed and cannot be with that person. It is my duty to seek to that. Do you understand now?"

She spoke with amusement in her voice, as if another's punishment and cursed fate didn't matter the slightest bit. Yuki shook his head slowly as the realization unraveled within him.

"That's right. It was you who turned the world upside down. The people inside of that house are all in agony right now because of us. So don't fight it Yuki. If you want us to be together, you need to forget all emotion and that little stupid voice inside of your head."

At that moment, Tohru slipped her arms around him and even though he knew the horrifying truth, even though he knew it wasn't really Tohru that he was with, his heart told him that she was there somewhere, trying to free herself of the tortured prison that kept her locked within herself. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head towards his chest, his fingers slipping through the strands of her hair.

"Okay… I'll do it. I'll do it for us…"

They stood there for a few moments like that and then suddenly they broke apart, the crack of a twig resounding in the air. A rustle of leaves followed that and then a fuming Kyo appeared, his eyes bloodshot and ready to kill.

"You! And YOU! You just… you just… and you didn't transform! So that means that Kagura and I can be cursed all you want, and the two of you can live a happy curse-free life? I can't take it! This is insane! And you're not even Akito! Tohru, you are sick! You're sick and I'm going to get rid of you! I thought you were someone special, you made me think and feel but now, you hold the power to weaken my sense of feeling. I've rotted into anger, just like before. But it's worse this time, because I feel like I want to… _kill you…_"

Yuki stepped in front of Tohru protectively, but then she stepped away, just as Kyo made a run for her. She put up her hand and then he stopped in midair. A tiny gasp came from the edge of the trees and Tohru's eyes met Kagura's. Tohru smiled vindictively and then clenched her fist. The night rang with withering cries, which echoed from Kyo's aching body. Yet as Yuki and Kagura watched in horror, they didn't realize that somewhere deep inside of the woman who held so much power, was the real Tohru Honda, withering in pain just like Kyo.

* * *

**A/N:** I updated... but it was another sad chapter huh? And I added Rin and Hatsuharu! lol xP I thought this fic would be longer, but i think I'm going to end it in two more chapters... MAYBE three... I'm not sure and I'll have to see... anyways, I hope you liked it despite all of the horrible things happening... soon, the suffering will come to an end... as all fics do lol leave if a review if you wish, i'd really appreciate it! thanks for reading!

-Monika-


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

Kyo screamed as the torture circled within his body. His skin tightened and caused everything inside of him to excruciatingly push together. Kagura wept in the corner as she watched Kyo withering in the air. Yuki stood away from Tohru and his jaw dropped in awe. This was the last thing he had in mind when he thought of his rival. Kyo might have been annoying but he never thought of _killing_ him.

"So, you wanted to kill me Kyo? How do you feel about those words now? I consider your anguished cries as a sign that you might have changed your mind."

Tohru gripped her fingers more tightly into a fist and shoved it into the air higher. Kagura couldn't look upon Kyo's deathly white face. It was too horrible of a sight and the torture of not being able to save him made her blood pace around her as fast as a whirlwind.

"No! Please stop Tohru! He just has a bad temper, you know that!"

She didn't move her fist, but her eyes darted towards Kagura. Tohru snickered and the flash of evil in her black hollow eyes caused Kagura to stumble backwards.

"No one speaks against my choice!"

Kagura cried aloud as Tohru stomped her foot heavily on the ground. Kagura fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around her abdomen, trying to protect herself from the pain of the invisible force flooding inside of her veins. Each time Tohru's foot stomped on the ground, Kagura cried once more and Yuki was becoming more ill by the second. The turmoil rushed through the air around them, mixing with the blood spilling out of Kyo and Kagura's mouths. Tohru let out a tremendous laugh as she let Kyo fall helplessly onto the soft grass. He let out a gasp of air as his chest expanded. Then he immediately closed his eyes as the jabbing inside of his ribs hindered his ability to let the air flow into his crumpled body. Even though he was wounded so, he gradually pulled himself towards Kagura. When he reached her, Tohru stopped stomping her foot, and once she did that, the chilly air around them started to whistle, almost as if it were calling for help.

"Tohru… you just…"

Yuki stood mesmerized by the horrifying action she had just committed. She had almost disposed of their lives just because a hot head threatened her.

"I know what I just did. They deserved it. Do you have a problem with that?"

She turned around and looked at him straight in the eye. Her cold dark tone of voice couldn't surpass the hate within her face. Tohru's hair drifted lifelessly about her head and then she walked towards him, her arms outstretched. Yuki shook his head slightly, but she didn't notice and kept going towards him. Each step she took, the more he thought he should run away from her. There was no reason he should be with this horrid creature of evil nature. Finally, when he found himself immobilized, he gave up and just stood there, her cold arms wrapping around his chest. As she squeezed, his eyes fluttered and he lost his mind. The goodness and the warmth flew out of his body with his breath and he let his weight overcome her strength. Tohru flinched as his body fell onto her shoulders.

"Yuki! Get off of me!"

No answer came from him. She growled in frustration and threw him off of her shoulders. He fell to the ground and a loud thud resounded in her head. For a moment, her eyes widened as she saw his glistening silver hair turn into a bristling gray. His slow breaths glowed a haunting white and she stood back shaking her head.

"What's happening? Yuki? No… No!"

She fell to her knees by his side and then the anger came back, full of the force of a wild tornado.

"Where is _my_ happiness? Why is this happening to me? I thought it would be better this way…"

Yuki groaned lightly and she turned him over so that his eyes looked up towards her. He was beginning to become even paler than before and Tohru dug her fingers into his arm as she held onto it. Among the pain, he managed to speak to her.

"I don't know what's wrong Tohru… but that's just it… you're… not… _Tohru_."

Instantly her face became still and frozen. Yuki's chest rose as he heard a distant cry of anguish within her frail body. She shook her head and then stood up crookedly, pointing at him.

"Don't say that! Don't make me hurt you!"

A tear slid down his cheek and into the brittle grass.

"You don't have to… because you already did."

The darkness was coming in towards her from the sky and she shook, the freezing depths rising through the forests. She heard the groans of pain from behind and she turned to see Kyo helping Kagura sit up on her knees. Tohru took a deep breath of air before she raised her hands to her head.

"What? You still help her even though you know the consequences?"

Kyo looked at her from under his eyebrows, his head bowed.

"I don't care about your stupid rules, or what's going to happen! I love her and nothing can change that!"

"OH really? Would you stake your life on that statement?"

There was a moment of a pause before she began to shoot her hand towards them. Suddenly, she was jerked backwards as pair after pair of hands gripped her arms and legs.

"What is this mutiny? Let go of me!"

Everyone had found them. Everyone who had been inside the house was now in the clearing. Kisa and Hiro were near Yuki, helping him sit up. Yuki saw his brother, Shigure and Hatori pulling her away from Kyo and Kagura. To his left, he saw Rin hiding behind Hatsuharu, watching from the shadows of the trees. The struggle continued as Kyo and Kagura stood up.

"You need to go rest."

"Tohru, stop this nonsense at once!"

She twisted violently until she decided to bite one of the hands holding her back. Shigure yelped in pain and then let go of her. Tohru tore away from their grip, the sudden removal of Shigure enough to distract the other two men. She ran past them all and then ran towards the house. Her legs were aching and her breath wasn't steady and it caused her to stop at a slow jog and clutching her chest, she stumbled forwards. Then she stopped and leaned next to a tree to regain her composure. A distant cry resounded within her and she growled.

"Shut up! Shut up once and for all!"

Footsteps echoed in her ears and then she looked up, her long dark hair dangling. Momiji stepped closer fearfully, his heart hammering inside of him, yet the courage rising from the pit of sorrow in it.

"Tohru… what's happened to you?"

"What do you know about anything brat? Just leave me alone!"

His eyes shined with brilliance as he fell to his knees.

"I won't leave you. I want the old Tohru back. I miss her so much. Please come back to all of us!"

"No! That's never going to happen, now get out of my way!"

She started towards him, and then when Tohru tried to thrust her foot forward, she couldn't. It was as if there was an invisible wall in front of her, some kind of shield she couldn't see.

"What's going on? Why am I asking so many questions, and why can't I get past you?"

Momiji looked up, his shoulders shaking up and down.

"I don't know… Wait… _Tohru_…can you hear me?"

He closed his eyes as if trying to communicate with someone other than herself, and something inside of her started to explode with a dire urge to go back. She darted away from him frantically, running back towards the scene of the encounter with the rest of the Sohmas. Everything was the same; nothing had changed. She went to the left, hoping to run away once more, but this time, she fell because of a collision, leaving her head throbbing.

"Who…"

She opened her eyes and saw Hatsuharu standing tall with his girlfriend.

"You! The insolence of your behavior… it will go on no more!"

She rose into the air about a foot off of the ground and then she pushed her hands down. Just as before, the couple withered to their knees and then cried out the raw ripping of their muscles too much to bear. Yuki's eyes widened displaying the last meager attempt of sanity and hope. He tore away from Kisa and Hiro's grip. Yuki limped towards her, wishing with every second that passed by that this nightmare would end.

"Tohru, I'm begging you! Don't do this to yourself!"

She looked at all of them, the three adult men cowering at the sight of her.

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine! This is a lesson everyone needs to learn! They can't love without feeling the torture and pain that comes with it!"

He closed his mouth and let the tears stream down his face.

_"What?"_

She was beginning to question the situation and then she suddenly felt the ground touch her feet. The power inside of her body was draining gradually. Yuki and everyone else could see it with their own eyes, but Tohru was completely unaware of it. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and yet her skin glistened with a deathly crimson white color, almost as if she was dead. Her eyelids drooped and her hair was falling out of her head. Her weight decreased as the seconds passed by and all of this happened without her knowledge.

"Yuki, what _is_ it? Tell me!"

His voice cracked as he tried to propel the words from the sanctuary inside his dry throat.

"You're… you're dying…"

Tohru's eyes grew and the dark black pupils covered most of them, leaving little room for the whites of her eyes.

"I don't understand what you are saying… it is impossible for me to die!"

_"He's lying! Don't listen to him Tohru!"_

She gasped suddenly as she heard the voice of the devil himself inside of her head.

"Why shouldn't I listen to him?"

_"Don't resist me Tohru! I command you to think of your duties! Kill those who have betrayed you!"_

Tohru shuddered and closed her eyes as she put her hands to her head and then hung it parallel to the ground.

"I can't… I… I'm sorry!"

Without watching herself do it, the remaining strength inside of her was forced into her hands. She raised them upwards towards the sky and then let them fall towards her side, unleashing every dark thought onto the crippled couples on the ground. Kisa and Hiro had long since run away, unaware of what they had escaped.

"Tohru! NO!"

Yuki's plea wasn't heard because her head rolled around her neck and then her body collapsed onto the earth. As he was going to run towards her, a loud shriek made everyone flinch. Suddenly, a black mist expelled from Tohru's body, slowly engulfing the ground and tainting it with the icy coldness as it froze the soil. Tohru didn't move, and then within a minute, the shrieking became louder and suddenly out of the mist, a figure rose.

Hatori knew at once who it was.

"Akito."

"He's alive!"

He spun his head towards the cowering threesome and bellowed in anger.

"Alive! What a pitiful word for the state I am in! Perhaps I shall impose on you the bearing of my soul, since my first subject has failed to keep me…_alive_."

Yuki shook his head and ran through the shadows that belonged to Akito. He felt the prickling jabs of pain as he did so, his skin tightening and shriveling. However he kept going and then knelt next to Tohru. As he held her in his arms, he felt the heavy darkness inside of her finally vanished. Yet, it was even worse than that, because he felt nothing.

Ayame wailed and broke down, bowing to the master.

"I will do as you say, just don't hurt me!"

"No you fool! Don't let him do anything to you or you're going to regret it! I have no idea who or what he is, but that is _not_ Akito. There is no such thing as evil spirits."

Akito had reshaped himself and then laughed at Hatori.

"You always thought you were so smart and you always took care of me. How do you think that made me feel? I'm not subservient! That is why I will own you now. You will see what it feels like!"

Shigure whimpered and then pointed towards Yuki and Tohru.

"She's… she's gone! He _is_ evil! Hatori, do something!"

Akito was approaching them and all he could do was blabber like an idiot.

"Tohru! Come back to me!"

Yuki was still cradling her in his arms and holding her head in his hands. His fingers ran through her tired hair and he wept with anger.

"I should have done something! I shouldn't have listened to you, I should have told someone the first time I knew! I'm sorry Tohru. I'm so sorry…"

He sobbed, letting the tears fall onto her face and dot her pale cheeks. Yuki pulled her into a one-sided embrace and he let his emotions out into the clearing for everyone to hear.

"I love you Tohru! Please don't leave me!"

Just as Akito was about to enter his dark mist into Hatori, who was standing there firmly, not believing that anything wrong could happen, a flash of blinding light that dwelled from Tohru's heart spread through the clearing creating a brilliance of white space. Everyone shielded their eyes and soon the light subsided. Yuki was struck numb as he felt two small hands gripping onto his shirt. The wind lifted her hair into the silence of new life.

"Yuki…"

Her whisper was only audible to him and when his eyes glanced down into her face, his heart overflowed with miraculous bliss. She buried her soft tears into the fabric of his clothes and he held onto her more dearly than before. He chuckled and buried his face into her neck. Kagura stood up and frowned as the guilt struck her at everyone one of her joints so that she felt weaker than before. To everyone looking in on Yuki, the sight seemed as if he was grieving for his dead love instead of rejoicing in her rebirth. Even though they might have felt the sharp thorns on the roses jabbed within their body, they couldn't help but let go of the grip and cry for the departure of the once beloved Tohru.

Then suddenly, Yuki stood up, and so did Tohru, the person they claimed was gone forever. Everyone immediately scrunched up their faces and Ayame shrieked, and no one could tell if he was extremely excited or deathly afraid. Tohru held onto Yuki's arm and opened her eyes slowly, the darkness of the night finally clear and untainted with bloody sins and threats. She let the last of her tears fall down her cheeks as she allowed herself to breathe again.

"Tohru! You're alive!"

"We thought you were gone," Kyo remarked carelessly.

"I… I'm sorry…"

"You _should_ be…"

Yuki narrowed his eyes and then flashed his anger towards every person his eyes came in contact with.

"Leave her alone! Don't you have any ounce of kindness in your thick skulls? Tohru has been through hell and back! She will talk to you when she wants to!"

He breathed heavily and let the beads of sweat fall from his forehead. Tohru's eyes widened as she watched Yuki unleash his rage, the moments all welled up inside of him now exploding like never before. She whimpered, unable to handle the thoughts that she now controlled. She collapsed into his embrace and closed her eyes. Her hands reached up for his wet face and then her fingers slipped down to his neck. Yuki picked Tohru up bridal style and then stumbled forward for a few steps. Once he regained his balance, he walked passed the gaping mouths and the perplexed faces without caring what they would have thought.

The silence fluttered around their heads for a while still after Yuki and Tohru had left. Suddenly, Kagura spoke up timidly.

"I think Yuki is right. We should let Tohru rest before we ask her about everything that has happened."

She looked at Kyo sadly and she left him standing there alone. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Their eyes connected and then she looked down to the ground.

"It's always about Yuki and Tohru," Kyo whispered sadly, "but what about us?"

Kagura pulled her hand away from him and turned away so that he wouldn't see the tears falling from her deeply shattered eyes.

"That has to wait."

Kyo stood dumbfounded and watched her leave the clearing as well.

"Kagura!"

He yelled in frustration and then waved his hands in the air and ran after her. Rin and Hatsuharu disappeared long ago and now the only people left in the forest were Hatori, Ayame, and Shigure.

"This has been one strange and fascinating night… right?"

Ayame laughed shortly and then frowned.

"Unfortunately, your wise crack jokes are not going to make anyone laugh right now," Hatori said, his voice full of remorse and the memories of his deceased love.

He began to walk away as well and then Shigure shook his head.

"Let's go. I think we should all stay at the house over night and then we can talk in the morning."

Ayame snorted and folded his arms together, closing his eyes and then looking up at Shigure superiorly.

"That would've been nice to say _before_ we got Yuki upset."

"Don't try to act smart! Let's just go. I'm tired of everything."

Ayame sighed and let his arms drop. He followed his friend home and arched his back as he imitated an old man, only to get a punch in the shoulder from Shigure. They had left the clearing and a chillingly calm silence entered it. The disappearance of the dark black mist was considered a good sign, and only now was the world of the Sohma family going to be more complicated than before.

..::-::..

The next morning, the birds began to chirp lively and the sunshine struck Tohru's face with welcomed warmth. She stirred and smiled before she opened her eyes, the feeling of rest finally allowing her to feel somewhat like herself. Suddenly, Tohru realized that she felt someone next to her. She gasped and picked her head up to see who it was, afraid still that it might have been Akito in some other form, come to taunt it her once more. But it wasn't him; all she saw was Yuki's peaceful sleeping face and her heart rejoiced. She placed her head back down on the pillow and cuddled up to him, hugging him with so much force that she woke him up.

"Huh? Oh… Tohru!"

He blinked a few times before her smiling bright face appeared to him in clear vision. The morning light made her face glow and the warmth radiated from her eyes. Yuki didn't say anything for a moment because his heart was overwhelmed with joy. He hadn't seen her so happy for a few weeks, and now that she was there with him, truly there, he didn't know what to do.

"Yuki… I feel so much better! Wait…why did you sleep in the same bed with me?"

She jumped up, putting her hands to her head frantically and looking around for her regular clothes. Suddenly, she felt Yuki's strong hands grab her wrists and steady her so that she looked at him. As a crimson blush spread across her face, she realized that Yuki was wearing his pajamas, as was she. She breathed a sigh of relief and then Yuki laughed, all of the tension gone. Tohru was truly back; he finally had her as he always saw her in his mind.

"Tohru…" he found the voice inside of his throat, "after everything that happened, I was worried and I wanted to protect you because I couldn't do it before."

Her eyes softened and he brushed the hair out of her face gently. Tohru's smile grew warmer as the kindness he was showing her helped her get rid of the last remaining amounts of cold inside of her heart.

"Thank you so much Yuki… I don't know what I would have done without you."

A sudden cry filled her head as Yuki began to lean forward towards her. A flash of darkness spread through her vision, and the fear crawled back into her thoughts. She saw Akito's flashing grin and remembered the horrible aftertaste of his mouth inside of her own. But when Yuki's forehead touched her own, the memories vanished and she stared into his pale eyes, shining with nothing but affection for her. He brushed his fingers across her cheeks a few times and then she held onto his arms tenderly.

"I'll always be here with you, from now on, so don't worry about anything. I'm your guardian angel."

And then she felt his lips brush against hers, so gently that she thought it wasn't even real. The feather like sensation made her body shiver and then he pulled her towards him more. She kissed him back and let the true innocence of her spirit mix with his. Tohru placed her hands on his chest and then leaned her head against his neck while he cradled her.

"I was so lost… I… I thought I'd never get to tell you that, I love you, again."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and he wiped it away, her skin soft and warm from sleeping for so long.

"It's all in the past. We don't have to think about it anymore."

She nodded and then he smiled to cheer her up. Tohru laughed lightly as he jumped off of the bed and then stretched his arm towards her.

"You need to get ready for breakfast Miss Honda. I think you might have missed sausages in the mornings with some scrambled eggs and bacon."

She jumped out of bed crying out happily and she threw her arms around him.

"How did you know that I wanted to eat that? I haven't really tasted food for so long!"

Just then her stomach growled and she laughed. Things seemed to be back to normal. At least that was the case for two people in the house.

..::-::..

Kyo had his hand behind his head and he lay in bed staring at the ceiling above him. His eyes were bloodshot; he hadn't gotten any sleep that night. He twisted and turned, but he couldn't get the jabbing pain inside of his heart to go away. Right before he had gone into the house, he saw Kagura looking up at the moon and he knew it was his last chance to talk to her without any one else being around, but it hadn't worked out right at all.

_Kagura stood gripping her hands together and looking up towards the bright moon in the dark blue sky. Kyo stood there for a moment, mesmerized and paralyzed to see her so beautiful and aching in pain. Then he finally found his nerve and walked up to her. The shadows covered her face as she turned to look at him, and the reflection of the moon vanished from her skin._

_"Kyo… please don't do this again."_

_He walked right up to her and took her hand._

_"I want to be with you Kagura. Don't you think it hurts even more when you refuse to even look at me?"_

_She had looked down again and then looked up at him when he said those words._

_"I'm sorry Kyo, but I can't be with you… you know that."_

_He gripped her hand more strongly and she let out a sob as he held her face in his other hand._

_"But you don't have to ignore me now! I love you more than before and it's killing me that you don't give a damn about me!"_

_She lifted up her head and shook it violently._

_"No Kyo! I _do_ care! I loved you before I met you and I still do!"_

_He growled in frustration and then pulled her closer towards him._

_"Then why are you doing this?" he yelled harshly in her face._

_Kagura whimpered and tried to pull away from him._

_"Because… we're cursed Kyo, and we can't… do anything about it…"_

_She let her eyes close and the tears spill out of her heart as it leaked from the holes pierced within. Kyo calmed down his breathing and then approached her slowly. The space between them was disappearing with each second, and then suddenly she realized what he was doing. She flung her eyes open and then stepped back in shock. He let go of her hand and saw the pain in her face as the moon shined on it again. The streaks on her face glittered and her eyes shrank fearfully inside of their sockets._

_"No. I don't want to go through the pain and humiliation."_

_"This hurts me Kagura, it hurts us. If we kiss, at least we'll be happy for a second…"_

_She shook her head as she retreated further._

_"If we kiss, it will hurt more because we will transform, and I don't want to do that each time. I'm sorry Kyo…"_

She had run away and he was left by himself again. Kyo punched the pillow on his bed as he sat up.

"This is so unfair!"

He ruffled his head and got up. As he walked into the hallway, another door opened and he saw Kagura's puffy eyes emerge from her room. They stared at each other for a moment and then Kyo clenched his fist to steady his voice.

"Good morning."

She was relieved to hear him say something so simple and basic. Kagura straightened herself and nodded.

"Good morning Kyo. Are you going down to breakfast? I made some scrambled eggs and other foods you might like…"

She tried smiling but ended up showing him how much pain she was in, just like he was. From the sagging underneath her eyes, he could tell that she hadn't gotten much sleep either. Suddenly, as they began to walk towards the stairs, a door opened behind them and the cheerful laughter of Yuki and Tohru bounced off of the walls and echoed into their broken hearts. Once they came into the hall, they stopped as the realization that they weren't alone came to them. Tohru looked from one pain-stricken face to the other and then she felt her happiness drop inside of her stomach. She was the reason that they weren't able to be together. Yuki sensed that she was becoming more upset and he gripped her wrist.

"Come on. We're all late for breakfast."

Yuki shared stern glances with Kagura and Kyo, and everyone nodded solemnly. They walked down the stairs in a single file line and entered the dining room that way as well. The three best friends were already sitting down and Hatori carefully observed Tohru as she walked in.

"Good morning. Sit down and eat. We'll talk afterwards."

Tohru sat down and stared at the food- scrambled eggs, her favorite, yet she had lost her appetite. Yuki encouraged her to eat and gradually she cleared her plate. When everyone was done, they looked at her expectantly without saying a word. The time had come for her to explain every bit of sorrow and pain she had felt, and Tohru didn't know how to start._

* * *

_

**A/N:** Again, it took me almost forever to update! Or a month at least… please don't be mad!!! I hope you liked this chapter!! Akito's finally gone!! Yes, I'm not joking, he is… but the curse remains… to decide the fate in the next and final chapter… that's right… unfortunately, the next chapter will be the last… :( but let's not think about that for now! So, tell me instead what you thought of the chapter! ANY kind of reaction would be most welcome!! So then, I hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks so much for reading:D

-Monika-


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Everyone was staring at her, and the focus of the tension darted into Tohru's chest, making it hard for her to breathe. She felt Yuki grab her hand under the table and then she let the air out of her depleted lungs. The only way she could speak was if she didn't look up; every pair of eyes was just another portrait of the pain she had caused. Slowly, her lips parted and the words fell out of her mouth like a spilled bag of rice, a soft pattering of the breeze.

"I'm really sorry about everything… I know most of you probably hate me… and that's okay, because I deserve it."

At this point, her back hunched over slightly and the rivers of tears fell down her cheeks. Yuki clenched his fists but didn't interrupt her. Kyo folded his arms and then looked at Kagura who sat far enough away so that another person could have fit in between them.

"I don't want to talk about what happened with Akito… but I'll say one thing, and that is it was painful. He hurt me and took over my body. I'm sorry I was weak enough to let him do that, that I let him hurt each one of you."

Everyone's gaze softened and Hatori looked away, closing his eyes and letting the memories flood through his mind. He knew what it was like to have Akito ruin your happiness. Hatori nodded and sighed.

"It's okay Tohru. I think I understand what happened now. I never thought you could have been that cruel to begin with."

Tohru gasped as she looked up into his face. He gave her a small smile and the tears on her face shined brilliantly. Her face lit up and she smiled back to him. Suddenly Shigure nodded and smiled as well.

"It's all in the past now Tohru! My, this is getting way too serious! It's not good for the stomach after such a delicious meal."

Shigure patted his stomach contently, and then Ayame let out a hearty laugh.

"I'm sure then that we can let what is past become shriveled away by the rays of the shinning sun!"

Kyo suddenly snarled in the threesome's direction, and then stood up. Kagura looked up awkwardly and watched as he silently left the room. Tohru looked at Kagura and lowered her head. The two people she had caused the most pain were Kyo and Kagura, and she didn't know if they would ever forgive her for that. That's why when she felt a soft hand slide over hers, she looked up with astonishment into Kagura's dark, warm eyes.

"I know Kyo is really angry right now, but I'm sure he'll forgive you soon enough. I'm sorry you had to go through so much pain, and I know you didn't intentionally want to hurt us."

Joyous tears streamed down Tohru's face and she beamed happily.

"Thank you so much Kagura! I promise I'll try to find a way to undo this!"

Kagura nodded and then stood up. She bowed and walked out of the room. The rest of the family gathered at the table did the same thing and started to shuffle out of the room. Each passed by Tohru and Yuki and gave her a reassuring glance.

"Don't worry about it Tohru. We understand, all right?"

She strained her neck and watched the last person close the door behind them. Tohru turned to Yuki and buried her head in his chest. She wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed him tightly.

"Why does it feel like I'm dreaming again? It's like nothing happened at all."

Yuki laughed cheerfully and stroked her long silky hair.

"You have to think positively Tohru. That's what our motto is, right?"

She nodded and then Yuki brought his head down to hers. Tohru kissed him and then laughed as his hair scratched her nose. Yuki pulled his head away and then held her hand. His eyes stared down into her face with complete adoration.

"Things are going to be just fine from now on."

Tohru smiled, but then softened her gaze as she wondered if Kyo would ever forgive her.

..::-::..

Kyo stared at the pool of still water in front him and he continually furrowed his eyebrows. The constant anguish he had endured from Tohru's mental and physical attacks was more than enough to drain away his pride. He kicked a stone that was hidden among the blades of grass and then watched it fall into the water, causing ripples to form and then die away. The wind rustled his shirt and hair and then Kyo sighed. His life had completely turned around in the past week and he wasn't sure what he should do about it.

Suddenly, a woman in a flowing light green dress walked up to the clearing where they had all visited the previous night. Kagura raised her hand and brushed her hair with her fingers, letting her arm fall to her side. She sighed quietly and then dropped her gaze from Kyo's back to the small white flowers in the grass before her. Her knees bent and then she picked one of the flowers by its stem. The snap finally made Kyo turn around. His eyes widened as he saw Kagura's cheerful smile. She took the flower and stood up, breathing in its sweet scent. Her eyes lifted to Kyo's and she didn't let her smile waver. Its bright warmth melted Kyo's heart and as the wind tickled their skin, he stepped forwards. She let her lips part slightly as Kyo took the flower from her hands.

"I know a better place for this."

Kyo lifted his hand and put Kagura's hair behind her ear, letting the flower gently rest on top of it. Kagura smiled gently as Kyo studied the flower.

"Thank you Kyo."

"Eh, whatever. Now you won't lose it…"

Kyo held her gaze and then looked away towards the water. Kagura's smile vanished slowly and then she looked down at her hands. She didn't want to upset Kyo further; Tohru wasn't to blame for the curse that imprisoned them. Even though they had to suffer through it, she still wanted to be close to him. For Kyo, it might have been easier to ignore her, but she wasn't going to let him. Bravely, she clenched her fingers and walked up to him. Kagura took his hand gently and he looked down at her with a cold presence in his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to hold your hand Kyo… why can't I?"

He shoved his hand away from her and took a step towards the water. Kyo hunched down and crossed his arms on his knees. Kagura narrowed her eyes and then knocked him over with a firm kick. Being caught off guard, Kyo fell into the water head first. Kagura gasped, shocked that she had acted so violently.

"Oh no! Kyo! I'm so sorry!! Let me help you…"

He stuck his head out and then leapt out of the water, his clothes completely drenched. Kyo walked out of the pond with his shoulders raised and his arms limply swinging from his shoulders. He passed her as Kagura reached her arms towards him. His eyes didn't even glance at her, but he felt her fingers brush against his skin and then he finally lost his temper. He stopped and faced her, letting his face explode with red anger.

"Will you just leave me alone? I don't want to be near you anymore!"

Kagura let her mouth drop and quiver. She held her hands up to her chest and she curled her fingers so that she almost resembled a rabbit. The wind blew faster into her face and her hair fell out of its place, letting the flower fall gracefully back into the grass. Kyo breathed heavily but then his face softened as he saw the painful tears spill from her eyes.

"Why are you like this Kyo? What did I do to make you hate me again? I wanted to try to be as close to you was possible, but you just keep pushing me away!"

She instantly felt the need to run away from the sight of his face, but when she tried to pass him, the force of Kyo grabbing her arm stopped her. She turned to face him, his face tight and strong, but his eyes bearing the burden of displaying his true emotions. Slowly, he let go of her arm and they faced each other with a remote modesty. Finally, Kyo dropped his gaze and spoke, his words whispering into her ear from the very depths of his heart.

"I don't want to push you away Kagura. That's the last thing I want, but what I want isn't possible. It's killing me inside, not being able to be close to you."

Kagura took a deep breath and smiled softly. She stepped closer towards him and he raised his head slightly so that they were speaking into each other's eyes.

"We don't have to hide from each other Kyo. Maybe somehow we can… break the curse… like Yuki and Tohru did…"

Her heart started to beat faster as she stepped towards him even more. The distance between them was closing in and Kyo stood immobilized, waiting for something to happen.

"But…"

"Don't let me go Kyo… let your heart decide what happens, not your head…"

She leaned forward, and then Kyo raised his hand to her chin, lifting it slowly towards him. Kagura let her hands rest on his chest as he brought her into his embrace. Their lips touched briefly and then the cool moisture of their breaths collided as their mouths closed the gap of their insecurities. Kagura gripped onto his shirt, lost in the moment and his presence, hoping with her whole heart that she wouldn't transform. Kyo breathed in sharply as the moments passed by, and nothing happened. He finally pulled away and looked into Kagura's flushed face, his heart pounding within his chest, and his eyes as wide as possible.

A large smile appeared on her face and she looked into his face with ecstatic joy sparkling in her eyes.

"We're free Kyo! The curse is gone forever!"

She jumped into his arms once more and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. He laughed shortly, letting himself smile for what seemed like the first time in the scattered memories of the past few days. Kagura let go of his embrace and stared at the rippling pond, suddenly aware of the droplets of water that fell from Kyo's head onto her hair. She stepped back and then laughed as she observed her drenched dress. Kyo scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry about that! But I guess you _do_ deserve to be soaked since you kicked me into the pond!"

He suddenly put his hand to the left side of his ribs and winced.

"I forgot how strong you are Kagura. I haven't _felt_ your emotions for me in a long time, and it bloody hurts!"

She put her hands up to her face and giggled.

"Sorry, I won't do it again. I just thought I needed to knock some sense into you, if you know what I mean."

He jumped at her and smiled, wrapping his arm around her neck so that her head was sticking out. Kyo ruffled her gleaming hair and then he dropped his arm so that it rested around her back. She leaned against him and they began to walk back towards the house.

Upstairs, Tohru watched the whole scene from her room. She turned around to Yuki and beamed happily.

"What happened? I haven't seen you smiling this much since before last week."

"Yuki! They broke the curse just like we did! All it took was a bit of determination and confidence and they were able to be with one another!"

She pumped her first into the air and twirled around crying out the triumph. Yuki laughed and then took her hand. They walked down the stairs, Tohru constantly humming a sweet song to herself. Inside of Yuki's heart, the cold despair that had filled it for the past week was gone for good and he knew that nothing could harm him anymore. They reached the bottom of the stairs and then they bumped into Kyo and Kagura. Tohru stopped humming as her eyes met Kyo's. Her smile dimmed slightly and she looked away. Kyo knew that he had hurt Tohru by being so stubborn and unforgiving. He reached out and touched her hand so that she looked up with shock in her eyes.

"I'm sorry about how I acted Tohru. It's all in the past now."

Kagura nodded happily and Tohru jumped up slightly. She nodded cheerfully and found her heart hammering in her chest. All she had needed was Kyo's forgiveness and then she wouldn't have to think of her living nightmare.

"Thank you Kyo, for understanding."

Before anyone could say anything else, two children ran in between them, both accompanied by a lively Momiji. He stopped when he saw the warmth in Tohru's smile and he beamed.

"You're all right now Tohru! I'm so glad you're back to normal! Want to play with us?"

She peered over his shoulder to see Kisa standing shyly behind a scornful Hiro. He folded his arms and shook his head.

"There's no way she's playing with us!"

He stared right into Tohru's eyes and her smile fell. Yuki put his hand on her shoulder firmly and she sighed, recalling how she had hurt her two friends.

"Hiro… Kisa… I'm awfully sorry about what happened… I wasn't feeling well that night and… and I really hope you can forgive me. Forget everything that happened… please?"

Kisa poked her head and saw Tohru's saddened face, the creases near her eyes and the warmth that was returning to her figure. Kisa's vibrant orange hair swished around her head as she ran away from Hiro's bodily shield. Tohru's mouth dropped as Kisa wrapped her arms around Tohru's legs.

"I forgive you Tohru… I'm so happy you're okay now."

Tohru's face lit up with the light of a million stars. She hugged Kisa fiercely and then looked at Hiro.

"Thank you Kisa for understanding. I hope everyone will be able to eventually."

Kisa ran back to Hiro and grabbed his hand. Momiji followed them out the door as Hiro gave Tohru one last glance. She sighed; Tohru wasn't sure if Hiro would be able to swallow his pride and let the past remain in the past, but for the moment, her life was beginning to resemble a fracture of what it should have always been like. Yuki suddenly interrupted her thoughts while he interlaced his fingers with his.

"Sorry Kyo, Kagura, but Tohru and I have to go somewhere. We'll be back later."

Tohru let her mouth gape as she was whisked away from the house. Yuki just kept smiling as he dragged her towards the forest. She furrowed her eyebrows and then sighed.

"Yuki, why won't you tell me where we're going?"

"You'll see soon enough," he said smiling brilliantly.

Tohru followed him all the way up the forest's paths to the top of a small hill. There she looked back at the forest and folded her arms.

"We came all the way here to see some trees?"

He shook his head and turned her around so that she saw the view on the other side. Her mouth dropped as she felt his arms surround her torso. The clouds danced playfully in the sky before them as the leaves rustled in the outstretched ocean of trees. A tear slid down Tohru's cheek as her body began to feel lighter than it usual felt. With Yuki behind her, she was immersed in the vastness of peace gliding on the wind blowing by her face.

"No Tohru. We came here so that we could start a new beginning."

He kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes. If she could go back and do it over again, she would, because at that moment she realized that her life didn't have to be empty anymore. Tohru had lost her mother, but in the end she had found Yuki, and if going through all of the pain and heartache meant that she would always be standing on top of a hill with him, she would do it. Endurance was sealed with each second she remained in Akito's control, courage was built in her heart by Yuki's ceaseless vigilance, and Tohru had learned to love again, through the course of finding out that all she had to do was believe in herself.

**-THE END-

* * *

**

**A/N:** So, it's come to the last sentence, the last word, and I must say farewell to this fic. It's been really fun writing it and I hope that all of you liked it!! I know that this last chapter was really short, but most of the conflicts were resolved already :) I really want to thank each one of you who has always reviewed and helped me through the process of continually writing another chapter! I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!! All right then, I'll say it one more time…

I hope with all of my heart that you have a wonderful rest of your day!!! Thanks!!

-Monika-


End file.
